Most dismissals go to the Industrial Court because they are "harsh and oppressive or not in accordance with the principles of good industrial relations practice". The alternative is to process a matter to the High Court as a common law complaint of "wrongful dismissal". 

It is well established that you cannot have the same matter in two jurisdictions. So, which route to take?

See here for a strategy on the way forward.

On 15 May 2014, RBC Royal Bank (Trinidad and Tobago) Ltd (“the Bank”) dismissed 42 estate constables from its employment on the grounds that they were redundant, as the Bank had decided to outsource security services to some of its locations. The dismissals gave rise to a dispute between the estate constables and the Bank. The dispute was referred to the Special Tribunal - the body responsible for determining disputes between estate constables and an employer. The Special Tribunal decided that it had no jurisdiction to hear and determine the dispute. The EPA appealed the matter to the Privy Council and won a significant victory.

The EPA has now written to the Attorney General, calling for amendments to the Industrial Relations Act and Civil Service Act concerning the functioning of the Special Tribunal.

Read the full story here.

17th September 2024 - Update

Union leaders call for Industrial Court judge to step down

Report in Trinidaad Guardian

A well attended event at the Arima Community Centre on 7th September 2024 celebrated the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Domestic Workers Union (NUDE) by Clotil Walcott and other comrades in 1974. It was as much a celebration and acknowledgement of the tireless work of Comrade Clotil as it was a recognition of the union’s struggle for half a century.

Representatives of the Ministry of Labour, the International Labour Organisation (ILO), the International Federation of Domestic Workers and the local MP, Pennelope Beckles-Robinson were present at the event.

Read a detailed report of this event and NUDE's ongoing fight for the rights of dometic workers. 

Comrade Chris Abraham was active in the trade union movement for most of his adult life. At various times, he was an officer with the OWTU, CWU, ACAWU and finally, the National Workers Union.

Comrade Cecil Paul knew Chris for many years, and his appreciation of the work of Chris over the years can be found here.

Chris also spent some time working for the Tobago Regional Health Authority who have also acknowledged his contribution here.

28 March, 2024On 21 March over one thousand workers marched in the streets of Lusaka, Zambia, calling for sovereign debt cancellation and an end to illicit financial flows.

The march was part of the activities of the ITUC Africa’s 14th New Year School, which had over 200 participants from 31 countries. The demands in the petition, received by Brenda Tambatamba-Zambia’s minister of labour and social security, included calls upon African governments to implement debt management policies that are pro-worker, promote gender equality and are sustainable. The policies should also promote progressive domestic resource mobilization and gender responsive tax policies.

The participants included IndustriALL affiliates from several African countries and the IndustriALL Sub-Saharan Africa regional office and took place 19-22 March under the theme: advancing Africa’s transformation agenda – mobilizing for tangible trade union collective action.

The school composed of panels, plenary sessions, and commissions. Speakers were from the International Labour Organization’s Bureau for Workers Activities, academics, civil society organizations and trade union organizations.

The New Year School’s dialogue included strengthening inter-union cooperation and organizing, developing strategies against illicit financial flows, promoting social protection, optimizing the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)  for African industrialization, local manufacturing, decent job creation, and skills development, campaigning for a Just Transition to renewable energy and green jobs, gender mainstreaming, and union leadership training on sovereign debts and debt cancellation. 

Other discussions were on Africa’s labour market landscape, organizing innovation and collaboration, and insecurity and coup d’etats in Africa as threats to human and workers’ rights and democratic governance.

At US$1.8 trillion, the sovereign debt constitutes close to 23 per cent of the continent’s combined Gross Domestic Product(GDP) and is unsustainable and disconnected from the African development priorities, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

ITUC Africa is part of the stop bleeding campaign to stop illicit financial flows – illicit capital flight, tax avoidance and evasion, trade misinvoicing, corruption, money laundering and other criminal activities. The campaign is being conducted in cooperation with civil society organizations.

According to UNCTAD, illicit financial flows are estimated to be over US$88 billion per annum and deprive African countries of much needed resources to end poverty and promote industrialization.

ITUC Africa and IndustriALL are in cooperation on the African Industrialization campaign and on union engagement with the AfCFTA.

Martha Molema, ITUC Africa president said:

“The burdensome weight of national debt, the deficiencies within the global financial architecture and the looming climate crisis are reasons why debt should be cancelled.” 

Rose Omamo, ITUC Africa deputy president and IndustriALL vice president said:  

“It is necessary for Africa’s debt to be cancelled to stop the bleeding of African economies. With its mineral resources, Africa should be the richest continent. However, with illicit financial flows, Africa is unable to use its mineral resources for development. This explains why trade unions are campaigning for debt cancellation and an end to illicit financial flows.”