The National Trade Union Centre (Natuc) intends to be present at Charlie King Junction, Fyzabad, for Labour Day celebrations on June 19.
Responding directly to the public withdrawal of an invitation by head of the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) Ancel Roget yesterday, Natuc’s acting president Watson Duke said: “The last time we checked, Fyzabad belongs to the government of T&T.”
During a press conference on June 3 to discuss this year’s celebrations, Roget announced that Natuc had been “uninvited” to the national celebrations at Fyzabad after they claimed Natuc had refused to join hands with them to protest what they claimed was the vicious, anti-worker bill.
The Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill, 2015, which was introduced in Parliament by Labour Minister Errol McLeod on May 1, contains a clause which called for the decertification of unions.
Following what they perceived as Natuc’s refusal to unite on the issue, JTUM, through Roget, reportedly announced Natuc would not be welcome at the annual Labour Day celebrations.
Speaking at a press conference at the Seamen and Waterfront Workers’ Trade Union (SWWTU), Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain, yesterday, Duke, who was accompanied by officials of the All Trinidad General Workers’ Trade Union (ATGWTU), the National Union of Government and Federated Workers (NUGFW) and the Public Services Association (PSA), challenged Roget to produce a “deed of ownership for Fyzabad.”
In the event that was not forthcoming, Duke called on Roget to “turn the other cheek and let’s start a new day.”
Delivering the announcement to much table-thumping, Duke urged Roget to “prepare for Natuc and I want him to have the streets clear because we are coming down under the banner.”
Admitting that Roget’s announcement on June 3 had taken Natuc by surprise, Duke sought to bring some clarity to the issue as he provided a chronicled occurrence of how the situation had unfolded between May 1 to May 29.
Duke stressed that JTUM had never addressed Natuc through its general secretary regarding the amendments to the IRA Bill, although he said they might have written to affiliates of Natuc in their independent positions.
Revealing Natuc represented 17 affiliate unions, Duke said Roget’s action was a worrying development as many of Natuc’s members also belonged to JTUM.
The IRA amendments were initially announced on May 1 following which they were denounced by Natuc on May 18.
Calling for greater consultation and the removal of certain clauses, Duke said Labour Minister Errol McLeod agreed to engage Natuc and other unions in discussions at a political rally on May 24.
He said although a copy of the bill was subsequently burnt outside Parliament on May 27, Natuc believed that action was “too little, too late.”
Claiming that Natuc had done nothing wrong, Duke said it wrote to Roget on May 29, seeking to find out about the celebrations being planned at Fyzabad, in an effort to share the cost and ensure that members would be accommodated.
Calling for a united front on Labour Day, Duke lamented it was a “sad day when a trade union leader would be using alarmist statements to distract and divide a movement that is already fragile.”
Inviting Roget and general secretary of the Communication Workers Union Joseph Remy to join Natuc, Duke said letters would have been despatched immediately following yesterday’s briefing, along with membership forms and copies of Natuc’s constitution, to both men.
He concluded by telling those present Natuc was not going to Fyzabad to create a bacchanal but to foster love and unity.