Labour Minister wants industrial relations dialogue

MINISTER of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprise Development, Anthony Roberts, yesterday said he intended to promote social dialogue and partnership as the preferred approach to industrial relations in Trinidad and Tobago. He made this clear yesterday when he addressed the 46th annual general meeting of the Employers’ Consultative Association (ECA) at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre. Roberts warned, however, “The Government is doing its part, but we cannot do it alone. Disclosing that Government had ratified all eight core international labour standards promoting decent work, Roberts saw the opportunities and challenges facing Trinidad and Tobago in a globalised world as a means of getting together and charting a way forward to ensure harmonious employment relations in Trinidad and Tobago.

He reminded employers that Trinidad and Tobago was entering a new economic order, by way of both the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) and the Caribbean Single Market Economy (CSME). “We as a country must position ourselves to be able to capitalise on the opportunities that the new environment offers, and find ways to deal with the challenges that it may bring,” he added. According to Roberts, the critical challenge for Trinidad and Tobago is achieving productivity for competitiveness, while protecting the human rights of workers. “In this environment, the Ministry of Labour and Small and Micro Enterprise Development has the important responsibility to maintain that balance, thereby ensuring that there continues to be industrial peace in our society, which will facilitate investment and the generation of wealth for the benefit of all,” said Roberts.