By Alicia Chamely
THE Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) is in full support of the proposed amendments to the Retrenchment and Severance Benefits Act (RSBA), praising the proposed amendments for directly addressing issues faced by workers in relation to job loss and entitlement to severance.
In a press release on Tuesday, the OWTU stated, “The union welcomes the government’s commitment to implementing and advancing the workers’ agenda.”
The proposed amendments to the RSBA, were announced on January 11 by Minister of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprise Development Leroy Baptiste at the United National Congress (UNC) headquarters, Chaguanas.
 Highlighting the proposed amendments, the OTWU discussed the importance of widening the definition of “redundancy” to encompass circumstances “arising from insolvency and receivership, and the replacement of the misused “surplus labour” concept with a more appropriate, comprehensive definition of redundancy.”
The Union stated the changes to the definition of “redundancy” worked to protect employees whose jobs are lost in cases where companies close, collapse, or are placed under receivership.
The OWTU praised the government’s “proposal to prioritise compensation to workers.”
They noted currently under the Companies Act, when a company closes creditors and other claimants were paid first, leaving workers for last.
The OTWU stated the proposed amendments ensured workers were to be prioritised in the receipt of severance and other entitlements.
Addressing the government’s proposal to establish a Guarantee Institution or Severance Benefits Fund, aligned with International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No. 173 on the Protection of Workers’ Claims (Employers’ Insolvency), 1992, the OWTU stated, was not only progressive, but a necessary reform needed to ensure workers were paid what was legally owed to them.
From the prioritisation of rehiring retrenched workers to mandating employers to consult with employees before wide scale retrenchments due to a company closing, the OWTU stated the proposed amendments to the retrenchment procedures were “a major win for workers, as the current legislation often leaves workers with nothing at the closure of a company.”
The OWTU stated, “Finally, the OWTU agrees that the current severance formula is outdated and no longer reflects modern wage levels, regional benchmarks, or industry standards and views these proposed amendments as a decisive step in the right direction for all working people in Trinidad and Tobago.”
The Union reminded the public this advancement of the workers agenda began three years ago through a partnership with the then Opposition Leader, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
It stated, “It was the OWTU and other unions who worked with the then opposition led by Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar to develop an agenda that is designed and aimed at addressing urgent issues plaguing workers in particular, issues related to RSBA.”
The OWTU stated it remained “committed to advocating for strong labour protections and will continue to engage constructively to ensure that these reforms are fully implemented in the best interests of workers across Trinidad and Tobago.”
