“Brighter days are coming!”
That is the assurance being given by Minister of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprise Development Leroy Baptiste.
Minister Baptiste was speaking as Senate debated legislation aimed at ensuring collective labour agreements negotiated under Petrotrin remain in force through its successor companies.
“It’s not the company being affected, it’s ordinary workers been affected is ordinary workers who earning ability to take care of themselves and their families that is what is being destroyed and we have to put an end to that.”
The Miscellaneous Provisions Amendment Bill, which was passed in the senate on Wednesday, ensures that collective agreements negotiated under Petrotrin will continue through its successor companies, Heritage Petroleum Company Limited and Paria Fuel Trading Company Limited.
Minister of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprise Development Leroy Baptiste says the measure protects workers from losing union representation and bargaining rights following Petrotrin’s 2018 restructuring.
“A change in corporate structure must not become a mechanism for extinguishing trade union representation, avoiding collective agreements, or undermining decades of collective bargaining achievements. The principle recognizes that while businesses may restructure, the workers remain, the work remains, the enterprise often remains, and the economic activity continues.”
The Labour Minister is assuring that brighter days are on the horizon.
“Whatever the concerns anyone would have, this bill is deliberate setting about to bring the parties back around the table to treat with the issues of workers.”
Leader of Government Business Darrell Allahar rejected claims by the opposition that the legislation is unnecessary, reiterating it will provide certainty for workers
“I’m at pains to understand his statement that we don’t need this legislation. Because he quoted some learning about how to determine a successor. What we are doing at the end of the day here is we are deeming these companies to be successors so that the OWTU does not need to go to the industrial court to engage in an application for a declaration”
The bill was passed receiving majority support, with 21 senators voting in favour, none against, and nine abstaining.