“[…] The leadership of the labour movement has lost credibility and trade union leaders are being seen as ‘smartmen’, confidence tricksters and hustlers along the lines of insurance agents, lawyers, bankers, policemen, politicians and priests. “[…] If we are to defend ourselves, as workers, against the renewed attacks from the …
Read More »Kangalee: What ESOP offer? Dr Rowley offered ‘ghost shares’ to ‘ghost workers’ at Heritage
“[…] Heritage is not a publicly traded company, so how can shares be offered to employees? The share offering Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley referred to with FCB is different, in that FCB is traded on the stock exchange. “Even if Heritage was a publicly traded company, there is no …
Read More »Dear Editor: What Imbert’s new SME proposal may reveal about political behaviour
“[…] So many workers are already under pressure from employers who do not remit their contributions and now, instead of encouraging the NIB to vigorously pursue employers who engage in this criminal act, the government is telling them it’s okay to leave workers unprotected when they have need to access …
Read More »MSJ expresses solidarity with Lake Asphalt workers and others who are owed pay
“[…] This development is a clear reflection of how those in authority treat those they feel do not count whilst spewing the refrain that we are all in this together. In this regard, we also note the plight of the workers of the Education Facilities Company Ltd (EFCL), who have …
Read More »October webinar on life of ‘mighty’ Joe Young, trade unionist extraordinaire
“[Joe Young] was in his 30s when he led the bus strike that changed the nation, and when he spoke at the funeral of Basil Davis, one of the revolutionaries killed in 1970. “As a young person he was making real change, not just for himself but for a large …
Read More »‘No reputable economist would suggest privatising WASA!’: Dr Farrell on WASA, VMCOTT, the fuel subsidy and lay-offs
“[…] No, no—WASA should not and cannot be privatised! There are some entities which are what you call in economics, natural monopolies. For an economy like Trinidad and Tobago, the production of water is a natural monopoly and the state should do it. “[…] We are going to give WASA …
Read More »‘The numbers don’t add up’: Dr Farrell on Covid, costs, challenges and consequences
“[…] Non-energy revenues have fallen in 2020-2021 and for next fiscal, 2021-2022, it is going to be worse—partly because people pay taxes on the previous year’s numbers and partly because the recovery is going to be slower than expected because of the state of emergency and the impact of the …
Read More »MJS: ‘Stupid bordering on wicked’ for employers to bully or victimise non-vaccinated workers
“[…] It is also a false premise by employers to believe that vaccinated workers pose no risk to others, be they co-workers or the customers. The fact is that a vaccinated person, while less likely, can still get Covid. “They can also transmit it to others, though again they are …
Read More »CEPEP: We reduced workers’ salaries by 33.3% to ensure there’s no job loss
“[…] This decision [to reduce salaries by 33.3%], while contentious, directly protects the welfare of workers as that is the Company’s main priority at this time. This measure will ensure that there is no job loss at CEPEP…” The following press statement on CEPEP’s decision to reduce the salary of …
Read More »Union: How is Royal Castle providing food without workers? Fast-food chain gets 24 hours to explain
“[…] If in fact [Royal Castle] has proceeded with procuring alternative means to provide its food to the public while bypassing its workers and their union, these would constitute serious breaches of the collective agreement and violations of the law. “These could include illegally outsourcing or subcontracting labour, failing to …
Read More »Dear Editor: Raising retirement age punitive to workers
“[…] The argument of the bankruptcy of NIS is empty fearmongering to justify their call for decreased liability to meet their workers’ NIS. The fact is NIB money is a pad for government programmes and a bed of questionable projects by NIPDEC. “[…] Many workers stay in the workplace for …
Read More »Dear Editor: Who cares about domestic workers? Certainly not our governments
“[…] In Trinidad and Tobago, domestic workers include: housekeepers, cooks, cleaners, ironers, gardeners, handymen, watchmen, in private homes. They are hired by companies for their CEOs and others who are in high management positions to provide personal and household duties. Estimates indicate that there are 10,000 domestic workers in T&T. …
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