Unions call for preservation of their history

Senior Reporter

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Although the labour movement has been in existence in T&T for over a century, it still does not have a library with a collection of its accomplishments and history.

This concern was raised by the leader of the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM), Ancel Roget and the president general of the Seamen and Waterfront Workers’ Trade Union (SWWTU), Michael Annisette, as they hosted the first-ever union fair at the Brian Lara Promenade, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.

Before the men took to the podium, chair of JTUM’s events committee Letitia Cox reminded those gathered that it was through the work of unions that employees can enjoy workmen’s compensation, an eight-hour work-week and other benefits.

She said the fair was two years in the making and meant to dismantle the notion that unions were just about securing higher wages.

Roget, in his address, reminded the gathering that it was by the sweat and hard work of union leaders supported by workers that T&T was built.

“Let us not sell ourselves short, because today we are here to tell everybody that if ever you think that a group of people who contributed to the development of this country, that that group is relevant, that group is identified as the trade union movement of Trinidad and Tobago. We remain relevant to the economy of Trinidad and Tobago.”

Roget also reminded the gathering that it was the trade union movement that fought for adult suffrage, making way for the average adult to be able to vote and dismantling the previous system that allowed only the wealthy to vote, as well as other significant moments in history such as the 1970 Black Power uprising. He said it was the unions that must tell the history.

“Perhaps in that regard we might have faltered throughout the years by struggling so hard for all of these benefits but not publishing it and not putting to the public the richness of our history and what we would have done,” he said.

This sentiment was echoed by Annisette, who added that the unions should address that. He said in the lead-up to yesterday’s event, he checked the archives of the union as well as the national library, and there was no information on the history of the labour movement in the country.

“I think that is something that we in JTUM and the National Trade Union Centre of Trinidad and Tobago (NATUC) and all the unions must come together to either ensure that there is a library that speaks to labour, and we put our history together. I think coming out of this, if we do not do that, we will be doing an injustice to the labour movement and all past trade union leaders.”

Also speaking was former labour leader, now Labour Minister Leroy Baptiste, who said he was grounded in the trade union movement. Wearing his political hat, he recalled the promises of the Government not to just provide jobs, but “decent jobs” for citizens.

He added that the Government was advancing decent work on behalf of citizens through the advocacy of trade unions, such as expediting recognised majority unions and the filling of vacant contract positions in the public service, comprising some 20,000 jobs.