Industrial Relations Advisory Committee members appointed

Baptiste-Primus, on Thursday last, presented the members with their instruments of appointment and acknowledged the work of the previous committee at the Ministry of Labour and Small Enterprise Development, Port-of-Spain.

She told the 15-member committee she was heartened by the varied skills sets of its members, who will enhance its work, and was comforted by the fact that there was continuity in the committee.

The committee is chaired by Dr Hyacinth Guy, who chaired the previous committee.

The previous committee was responsible for the preparation of several, critically important documents, whose contents informed two of the ministry’s consultations held this year.

Commenting on the tripartite composition of the committee, she reiterated government’s commitment to ensure that all policy areas that fall under the remit of the committee are given the required attention. Some of these areas include, basic terms and conditions of work/employee rights legislation, and the establishment and administration on an unemployment insurance scheme or severance benefits fund or both.

Other areas include the definition of “trade dispute” under the IRAC, and the application/ implementation of freedom of association by the IRAC.