Uniting the voice of workers

There is a growing trend to blame unions for everything that goes wrong — from companies failing to governments’ failure to provide people with a better quality of life.

In the United States, many states have removed the right of workers to engage in collective bargaining and employers in other jurisdictions are learning fast from those states.

Far-right thinking has become fashionable — the rights of workers are under constant attack. Employers spend large sums of monies and exert all the political influence they can muster to demonise unions.

Here at home we have noted the employers’ call for the role and functioning of the Industrial Court to be reviewed, given its perceived bias against employers.

Notwithstanding the staunch defence mounted by some trade union leaders, the call seems to be gaining traction in some quarters.

Collective bargaining stands in the way of profits and it would seem that some are prepared to attack the very democratic institutions that enshrine and defend such rights.

The sweat of workers globally has resulted in the creation of more billionaires than ever. Globally, the gap between the rich and poor is widening at a frightening pace with dire consequences for democracy.

How do workers respond to these developments? It is very clear that if workers don’t unite against this onslaught, the rights that they take for granted will soon become threatened. The power of many must be the strategy of defence.

The infighting among unions only serves to strengthen the hands of greedy employers.

Union leaders must put aside their personal differences to strengthen the chorus of solidarity for their own survival. Political allegiances and political agendas cannot be allowed to take precedence over the collective rights of workers. The current challenge to the very legitimacy of the Industrial Court must serve as a wake-up call to all trade unions.

Our country must be reminded of the fact that the monies of workers were used to bail out mismanaged companies to the tune of billions.

Citizens must be reminded that the democratic freedoms and rights that they take for granted were won courtesy the struggle and fight of workers and their leaders.

Worker leaders were the ones who stood up to win and defend basic principles of human rights.

If left unchallenged, extreme and far-right thinking threatens to return us all to the days of enslavement and monarchs. Individuals must never again be allowed to own humans as property to be exploited at their whim and fancy.

Greedy employers must be reminded that the profits they make are courtesy of workers. Workers own labour and employers purchase this labour in a negotiated contract, the terms and conditions of which cannot be determined by employers alone.

Such contractual terms and conditions must also reflect fundamental principles of human rights, including the right to collective bargaining. These rights are not negotiable, for they form the very bedrock of modern democracies.

Employers cannot do without workers and vice versa.

Co-existence based on mutual respect must be the guiding principle of this relationship. Exploitation, greed, contempt and the demonisation of unions cannot be the prevailing thinking of employers.

Violent social upheaval is the inevitable outcome of worker- rights suppression.

The united voice of workers must be thunderous in the fight against social injustice and inequity.

The relevant laws that govern the rights of workers must be strengthened to plug the loopholes of exploitation and the integrity and sanctity of our Industrial Court must be jealously guarded and protected at all cost.