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“[…] The 10 years under the Dr Keith Rowley-led PNM saw a vicious attack on the trade union movement and the working class as that government pursued its neo-liberal policies that result in the rich becoming richer, the middle-income struggle to make ends meet, and the poor not able to put food on the table.
“Mass retrenchments: Petrotrin, TSTT, UTT, TIDCO, and threats of more job losses; the non-settlement of long outstanding wage negotiations or forcing some to accept a measly 4% over six years while paying themselves a whopping 40%+ are just some of the examples of the assault on the trade union movement and working class in the last 10 years…”
(Copyright Trinidad Guardian.)
The following is a Labour Day message by Movement for Social Justice political leader David Abdulah:
The Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) salutes the Labour Movement on this June 19th, the 88th Anniversary of the momentous General Strike and anti-colonial revolt.
Public holidays that commemorate a significant historical event are most appropriately used to remember, reflect and rejuvenate. Unfortunately, many in our society see a public holiday as simply a day off from work to either rest or an occasion to engage in some form of recreation or entertainment.
The Labour Day holiday is one of many that mark important events and moments in our history of struggle—out of enslavement, through indenture and up to freedom.
We cite: Emancipation Day (out of enslavement); Indian Arrival Day (the start of the process of indentureship); Spiritual Shouter Baptist Liberation Day (freedom of worship and of assembly); Labour Day (the working class push for social justice and an end to colonialism) and of course Independence and Republic Days (our assertion as a nation).
June 19th therefore has great significance for the people of Trinidad and Tobago and, in particular, for the working class. We must thus remember.
Remember the lives that our fore-parents and our ancestors experienced: tremendous poverty; sub-human housing; the lack of educational opportunities; poor health conditions; racial discrimination; the absence of the right to vote; colonial (foreign) political control; very low wages and non-existent benefits of employment.
Those things have changed. And that is solely due to the struggles and sacrifices by the working class over many years.
June 19th, 1937 was the pivotal moment that catalysed much of that change. We must never forget, we must always remember and in so doing express our eternal gratitude to that generation of workers—called the warrior workers—and the leaders of the day: Tubal Uriah Buzz Butler; Adrian Cola Rienzi; ER Blades; McDonald Moses; Elma Francois; Christina King; Jim Barrette and others.
(via National Archives of T&T.)
On their shoulders and through their efforts a modern trade union movement was birthed and this movement has served the working class well.
June 19th is also an opportunity to reflect. We need to reflect on the state of the working class today. We need to reflect on the state of the trade union movement. We must reflect on the struggles that we have had to engage in over the last few years and do an assessment of the attacks on the movement and the victories won.
This reflection will point to the facts that: the majority of workers in Trinidad and Tobago are not unionised and as a result many are being subjected to exploitation by unscrupulous employers. Many labour laws are terribly outdated and some are very anti-worker/anti-trade union.
The trade union movement has historically been divided along political and ideological lines and the lack of unity only benefits the powerful employer class.
Many workers—in and out of trade unions—do not have information and education, not only about the history of working class struggles but also about how the economic and political systems have been structured since colonial times to keep workers poor while the ruling elites live very nice.
And this lack of knowledge has weakened the trade union movement’s ability to build a united and powerful mass movement that can bring about fundamental change—as occurred in June 1937.
Photo: Andrea de Silva-Viarruel.
This reflection will also tell us that: the 10 years under the Dr Keith Rowley-led PNM saw a vicious attack on the trade union movement and the working class as that government pursued its neo-liberal policies that result in the rich becoming richer, the middle-income struggle to make ends meet, and the poor not able to put food on the table.
Mass retrenchments: Petrotrin, TSTT, UTT, TIDCO, and threats of more job losses; the non-settlement of long outstanding wage negotiations or forcing some to accept a measly 4% over six years while paying themselves a whopping 40%+ are just some of the examples of the assault on the trade union movement and working class in the last 10 years.
At the same time, the reflection must include the victory won by ending the rule of the Rowley PNM in the 28 April elections and the significant step forward by having two trade unionists being elected and one appointed to the Parliament and Executive (Cabinet).
Copyright: Office of the Parliament 2025.
This victory won by the progressive trade unions is a major achievement and it opens the door for rejuvenation. Rejuvenation can now take place as the trade union movement has won some breathing space after the relentless attacks of the past 10 years by the PNM.
This space presents a major opportunity: to engage in advocacy, supported by the trade union reps in government, for major reforms to labour laws and for improvements in wages; to organise the unorganised; to engage in sustained education activity of its membership to raise consciousness; to tackle the challenges of the current era [like] climate change and just transition, AI and technological advances; to strengthen unity of the movement; to build solidarity among workers here and internationally.
There is no telling how long this space will last so trade unions must seize the moment and not lose the opportunity which it has created by its own political interventions.
As the working class celebrates on this June 19th, the trade union movement must ensure that it builds so that we can go forward ever, backward never!
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