Ira on workers’ side, not bosses’

These were the views expressed by Industrial Court of TT president, Addison Khan, as TT’s trade unions and their respective memberships prepared to assemble at Charlie King Junction in Fyzabad for today’s annual Labour Day celebrations.

Speaking with Sunday Newsday following a breakfast meeting at the TT Chamber of Industry and Commerce’s Westmoorings headquarters on Friday, Khan disagreed with views expressed by certain labour leaders that the right of workers and unions to strike was enshrined in the Constitution.

"It is not a fundamental right under our Constitu-tion. The case of Colly-more and Abraham made that quite clear. The right to strike does not exist in TT.

"What we have here is the freedom to strike and it is important to note too that the IRA now gives the right to strike in certain limited circumstances.

"That is where the parties are negotiating a collective agreement, they have followed certain procedures, then industrial action may be taken lawfully," he explained.

The Industrial Court president added that prior to the IRA, "there was no right to strike."

Khan also disagreed with views expressed by the trade union movement that Government would not alter existing industrial relations legislation because it favoured em-ployers and big business. "I don’t agree that the Act is slanted towards em-ployers or business.

"The Act is really in favour of workers," he stated.

Khan said if one carefully studied the judgements of the court, "you will find that the majority of judgements that have been given, have been given at the application of the workers."

On the current industrial relations climate in TT, Khan said it is "quite good at the moment." "You have dissatisfaction, occasional eruptions but I believe because of the IRA and the court, judgements of the court, that the industrial relations climate is pretty good.

"You will have dissatisfaction but what we try to do in our judgements is give guidance to the parties," he explained.