Unions are not an osbtacle to profitability

The conference announced the union of Caribbean trade unions who are affiliated with UNI Finance, to lobby for union representation for employees of the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC).

De Cristo urged employers to not see trade unions as problematic, but as an asset to the company’s profitability. He said, “We had a financial crisis which started in the US. And in the US, there is no trade union representation in the banking industry, in the banking sector. And then, we have some signs that this crisis is not over, small signs that this crisis is not over, and we are concerned. What we are demanding, is to have a real...dialogue between the trade unions and the companies, because the trade unions know very well the territory where the banking is acting. They can also advise the banking sector in the Caribbean how they can manage for example, commercial problems. It’s advice, not to impose. It’s a dialogue...

What we want is a dialogue between the banks and the trade unions, to give the right to collective bargaining, to give better conditions to our workers. I think we have to break this kind of idea that the trade unions are an obstacle to have benefits, and also in terms of profitability, when the contrary is true.” Meanwhile, president of the Bahamas Finance Sector Union, Theresa Mortimer, affirmed that when employees are happy, then their employers are happy. Like de Cristo, she emphasised that the relationship between a trade union and employer can be a positive one.

In fact, de Cristo echoed her sentiment that when the employee is treated well, then the employer will reap the benefits, financial and otherwise.

David Massiah, General Secretary of the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union, explained that the alliance of trade unions across the Caribbean will allow the various unions to make headway in discussions with RBC across the Caribbean to advance the cause of the workers represented by them.