Glover-Rolle: Labour Day March bigger than TUC

The decision by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to withdraw from the Labour Day Parade, and the

narrative they’ve chosen to build around it, is disappointing, misleading, and not reflective of the truth that workers in this country deserve, said Minister of Labour and Public Service Pia Glover Rolle.

“When misinformation is presented as truth, especially by those entrusted to represent working people,

we must respond with the facts,” she said.

Glover-Rolle said the government has prioritized labour issues from day one, because it believes in the dignity of work and the rights of working people.

“We have signed over 55 industrial agreements, which is more than any administration in recent history, delivering salary increases and improved benefits for tens of thousands of workers.

Many of the agreements we have signed represent reignited negotiations that were long abandoned until the Davis

Administration came into office.”

She noted it was a PLP that increased the national minimum wage, not because it was pressured to, but because it was the right thing to do.

“We have achieved a lot in three and a half years, making more progress on many important labour issues during this term than has been seen across successive administrations.

So, when the leadership of the TUC suggests this administration is failing workers, I must ask: where was this level of outrage when significantly less was being done in years prior?”

According to the Minister of Labour, the majority of what the TUC is demanding is already happening.

“We have been working through the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) line by line and issue by issue. Some of their requests have been expedited; however, there are practical issues hindering the

fulfillment of some of the changes they are pushing for.

For example, the TUC wants union representatives on the National Economic Council, but this is a committee comprised only of Cabinet members. The National Economic Council is not open to special interest groups.”

“Another request made by the TUC is for the government to unionize private employers like Baha Mar and Grand Lucayan. But unionization is not something governments can impose on organizations. The

workers themselves must choose to unionize.

“Furthermore, Grand Lucayan was not even operational when purchased. The government was footing the entire payroll. Now that it has been sold, we are facilitating severance. This administration has taken action to correct the poor decisions made by our predecessors and we will welcome the decision

by workers at the resort to unionize should they see fit to do so,” she added.