VSEP denial a form of slavery

THE EDITOR: A point of great industrial relations importance is about to be decided. It’s this — Do workers have the right to accept VSEP packages? The workers must decide what’s good for them, especially as there’s nothing against companies formulating and offering voluntary separation packages that may even be better than union benefits. It’s really a personal decision and that’s okay, because unions must always faithfully accept and reflect the opinions and instructions of their principals, the workers. If a union does the opposite, it’s acting dictatorial and undemocratic, and only thinking of membership figures, not membership needs.

Such unions would seem to be only focused on power and position, and to hell with the wants and desires of workers. Denying VSEP for its members is like handcuffing workers to a company even when they want to leave. It’s a form of slavery, one inflicted by the unions. Can this handcuffing last? Especially in the age of CSME and FTAA where heavy competition will certainly mean more liberalisation, and more VSEP packages as employees either need to leave, or wish to leave using part of juicy separation packages to start their own businesses. This is the entrepreneurship and diversification that our Government preaches.

Do unions intend to fight this 21st century force of destiny again, and yet again? Do they want to go down in history as obstacles to workers’ progress?  Dictators of industrial relations? For a union to go so far as to obtain an injunction to stop a company from offering VSEP packages, is to virtually hold its own membership to ransom. Trade unions must always be careful not to obstruct their principals, or limit their decision making ability to determine whether or not they wish to continue being employees of a company.

J L MARTIN
San Fernando