(Trinidad Express) The threats from the labour unions to shut down the country are very disturbing and are a sign of utter desperation, said chairman emeritus of the ANSA McAL Group of Companies, Anthony N Sabga.
“In acting this way, unions are hurting themselves, their members and the country. Chambers of commerce and right-thinking people should ask themselves: should one organisation have the power to shut down a refinery – an essential industry? Should a small group of people have the right to ruin the country? Because that is what a shutdown would mean. What I see and hear in these threats of shutdown is a sense of desperation. This is thinking that is outdated and which would harm the entire country,” insisted Sabga, as he addressed the audience at the Chaguanas Chamber of Industry and Commerce annual Christmas dinner and awards function at Centre Pointe Mall, Chaguanas, on Saturday night.
Last Friday while members of the Joint Trade Union Movement led their first post-State of Emergency march through the streets of Port of Spain, threats of a national shutdown remained high on the agenda as president of the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) Ancil Roget declared that January 2012, will be the hottest month this country has ever seen as trade unions continue to press for the removal of the five per cent wage cap.
In illustrating the impact of a nationwide shutdown, Sabga made reference to Greece, where national strikes paralysed the country and led to the resignation of its Prime Minister in November.
Ultimately, said Sabga, Greece’s new government passed the same austerity measures that the unions called a strike over. Given the fragile local economic environment, any proposed shutdown by the unions is not the way to go, said Sabga. He added that threats of hostility create the conditions under which entrepreneurship cannot flourish.
Sabga emphasised that the relationship between the unions and government must be revisited.
“Unions ought to consider the long view rather than the short one. Their employer and government should also realign their thinking to understand one crucial fact: we are all in this together. Whatever course of action the unions instruct their members to take will affect everyone, he said
“It is more important now than ever to create a climate of harmony between labour, government and businesses…Chamber of commerce and business associations can play a role in mediating a harmonious relationship between labour, government and business. There must be a rationale discussion, all parties must be honest,” added Sabga.
Given that the three biggest hindrances to setting up business in Trinidad and Tobago are bad work ethics, inefficiency and corruption, Sabga asked:
“How can you justify increases without productivity? Money is important but individuals with the biggest plans and unlimited money who are not motivated will achieve nothing.”
What is needed, said Sabga, is a skilled cadre of people who are determined and have strength of character.
Earlier in the evening president of the CCIC, Zamanath Ali, said although it was evident that the local economy was a bit sluggish, business continued as normal in Central Trinidad. Ali said that the State of Emergency did impact on business but but he praised the country and its people for its resillience.
Because we are the type of people that we are, we were resilient, we knew there are things that may happen that is out of our control and sometimes out of the control of government, but in spite of that we observed in Chaguanas there was no violence, there was no strike, no looting,” said Ali.
