United against the potential threat of more companies shutting down and leaving workers penniless, the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) and the National Trade Union Centre (Natuc) are demanding that Government amend the Retrenchment and Severance Benefits Act to help retrenched workers.
The ex-steel workers created a commotion in Point Lisas yesterday, creating traffic congestion as they marched around the roundabout in their latest bid to force Government to act against multi-national corporation ArcelorMittal.
JTUM president Ancel Roget said the current laws to protect workers are inadequate and there was now a responsibility for lawmakers to make amendments in light of ArcelorMittal and other retrenched workers.
If this does not happen, he said, they are prepared to hit the streets to force Government’s hand, especially as it relates to the Workers’ Agenda document they presented to the Government.
He said while the country knows the plight of the steel workers, there were many more suffering the same fate and others on the brink.
“The move of the Government to bring emergency legislation is warranted now. Overnight, we must set everything aside and bring to the Parliament legislation that would protect the interests of workers who for years, protected the interest of this country by the service they would have given,” Roget said.
He also sounded a warning to Republic Bank Ltd, the trustee of ArcelorMittal’s employee pension plan, that JTUM was prepared to protest against it or the actuaries if they tried to prevent the former-workers from getting their funds.
He said those funds belong to the former workers and their representatives have a right to be in every discussion on it.
He also criticised the Employers’ Consultative Association and the various business chambers, saying they were silent on the matter, but were always quick to condemn trade unions.
With ArcelorMittal in liquidation, Steel Workers Union president Christopher Henry said the workers are at the bottom of the list of creditors.
He said Prime Minister Keith Rowley must say something as it relates to severance benefits for the workers.
Although Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus facilitated several discussions between the union and the company, Henry said more could be done through legislation.
He said that Baptiste’s Job’s Fair this week was not enough and workers will soon lose their homes.
He said most of the workers could not find jobs to match their qualifications as there were mostly security and fast food restaurant vacancies. Although these are a means of employment, he said it was unlikely that such jobs could pay the workers’ loans and mortgages.
Natuc general secretary Michael Annisette said the amendments could be implemented retroactively to ensure the former workers got their benefits.
“We are in this struggle to ensure that not only ArcelorMittal workers, but the working class in T&T are respected and the laws are changed to respect the workers.
“We at Natuc also call on the Government, just like what they did in Section 34, just like how they changed the law to accommodate Clico, that the laws must be changed immediately in T&T” Annisette said.