The discontents of globalisation are becoming more apparent in the world of work.
This is according to Director of the Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative Studies, Dr. Andre Vincent Henry, at the 4th Caribbean World of Work Forum on Tuesday.
Dr. Henry said many workers throughout the Caribbean are falling behind due to the onset of the occurrence.
“Wealth accumulation by the owners of capital is increasing while workers find themselves, as I said, falling behind. Basic amenities such as housing are falling out of the reach of many working people. Workers are increasingly living from paycheque to paycheque. The incidence of indigence, poverty, and vulnerability to poverty is at unacceptable and, in many cases, growing levels in many of our countries.”
Dr. Henry said this has lead to discontent amongst workers. They are turning to today’s digital landscape and leveraging their expertise to become media influencers, gaining reach and impact beyond their traditional roles.
“Even as people become inured to their effects and find themselves chasing identity and fulfilment as influencers on social media, grasping for solutions on the internet, and creating imagined communities to fill dissonance left by a global system that increasingly undervalues human worth.”
Dr. Henry also noted that there is a gap in the regional governance systems and said it is for these reasons the Caribbean World of Work Forum was created.
General Secretary of the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) Ozzi Warwick said the theme of this year’s Forum gives a sense of the direction of what needs to be done.
“The future of work, a social and solidarity economy approach. In the theme alone, it tells us that we can challenge and create alternatives to existing narratives and the status quo. It means that we do not have to accept what is handed down to us as to how our economy should be.”
Representing Labour Minister Leroy Baptiste, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprise Development, Lorris Alfred, congratulated the team for taking the necessary action to address the challenges.
“The CWWF is evidence of the transformation that has taken place at the college in light of the recognition that it cannot be business as usual when it comes to building societies marked by equity and social justice. At the Ministry, we are pleased that the College continues in the spirit of the pioneering trade unionist Arthur Andrew Cipriani, after whom it is named.”
The Forum, which takes place from 22nd July to 25th July, brings together key leaders from labour, government, academia, civil society and the co-operative movement to examine the future of work in the Caribbean through inclusive and sustainable economic models.