Labour Minister denies unions’ claims of neglect

Port-of-Spain: Labour Minister Errol McLeod says he will continue to honour his obligations to workers, unions and the employers of this country in a fair and objective manner.

Twenty-four hours after the President of the National Union of Government and Federated Workers, James Lambert accused the minister of failing labour and calling on the prime minister to move him from the Labour Ministry, Minister McLeod has issued a two page statement in defence of himself.

He notes that there are currently 22 reports of disputes involving the breakdown in negotiations for collective agreements.

In five of the cases formal conciliation started under the guidance of oficers from his ministry.

These include Petrotrin and the OWTU, NP and the OWTU, TSTT and the CWU, TCL and the OWTU and the CPO and the NUGFW.

Minister McLeod says he is apprised of the status of each matter by his officers and when its appropriate he directly leads the process.

In the case of the CPO matter with the NUGFW he says three conciliatory meetings were held the last one being in March when it was agreed that the matter would be referred to the Industrial Court.

In another matter conciliation proceedings between the NUGFW and WASa started this morning at the Ministry of Labour.

On Monday Lambert accused the Minister of focusing his attention mainly on issues involving the OWTU and ignoring the needs of other unions and workers.