By Prior Beharry
THE challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine will be faced for years.
This is according to President Paula-Mae Weekes in her Labour Message for 2022.
She said, “As we mark Labour Day 2022, we do so with a mix of optimism and concern— optimism, because as the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic appears to be in the rearview mirror, organisations are resuming their normal operations and citizens their daily activities; concern, because our economy continues to reel from shocks, local and global, with citizens being retrenched or otherwise losing their livelihoods and income streams.
“Additionally, the ongoing war in Ukraine is causing prices of essential goods, including food and fuel, to skyrocket which disproportionately affects the working class. Amid these predicaments, thousands of employees, some of whom have been pushed to their limit over the past two years, still await the outcome of a tedious bargaining process.
“The effects of these crises and resulting challenges to labour relations are certain to be felt for years.”
She said the adversarial processes used on both sides of the labour divide cannot be sustained in this new, ever-changing environment.
President Weekes said labour leaders must usher themselves into the 21st Century, representing their workers with skills and strategies appropriate to the current realities confronting our nation.
She said, “While labour marches and fiery speeches may continue to have a place, they cannot be the only arrows in the quiver of the unions.
“Employers too must operate differently, coming to the table at regular and predictable intervals, being empathetic to the concerns and conditions of their employees, even if tethered to their bottom line.
“Albeit that there are inevitable tensions inherent in the bargaining process, the objectives of employers and labour are not wholly incompatible. When the parties come together, each bearing goodwill, patience, insight and a creative spirit, it is possible to bring about a result that is acceptable to all, even though not the ideal of any.”
