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08/13/2004

Press Release

Trade Unionists Examine Impact of Globalization on Workers

The challenges and opportunities facing Caribbean workers in the global economy were the topics discussed by regional trade unionists in a seminar organized by the Caribbean Policy Development Centre (CPDC) and supported by the United States Agency for International Development, through its Caribbean Trade and Competitiveness Program (C-TRADECOM).

Issues affecting Caribbean workers were placed at the centre of discussions during the seminar as the organizers sought to increase the awareness of trade union officials on the nature of trade liberalization and ongoing external negotiations, particularly those in the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). The seminars also sought to develop a training manual to support ongoing training of union officials and encourage them to train other workers.

According to CPDC officials, the rationale behind the seminar was to prepare workers and their unions to take advantage of the potential gains to be made from free trade. The organizers noted that while there will be some challenges in the process, including dislocation of some employees, the new trade regime can also provide new opportunities.

"Clearly, the liberalization of trade and the major focus on services within the context of the Caribbean will bring with it both challenges and opportunities for workers. An informed and mobilized workforce will be better placed to deal with these changes. Moreover, trade unions as institutions will also face many challenges as the nature of employment and terms of work will undergo major changes to meet the demands on an increasingly competitive economy," a CPDC official said.

The official also said that at present some national unions are beginning the process of providing outreach education around these issues; however, these efforts are in many cases ad-hoc, one-time events and are often constrained by the lack of funds. The seminar, which was the first of four to be organised by CPDC, is expected to ensure a sustained effort and expose the union officials to most of the issues involved, they added.

Among topics dealt with at the two-day seminar, which attracted nearly 30 regional trade union officials from both the public and private, were:The Caribbean in the International Trading Environment; The WTO, FTAA, Cotonou - History, Evolution, Opportunities and Challenges; The CARICOM Single Market & Economy- Freedom of Movement; The State of the Game – Where are the Negotiations Currently; The Changing Nature of Work in the Global Environment; Services, Investment and Government Procurement – Where is the Worker in these Agreements and Effective Trade Union Responses in the Present Environment.

At the end of the session many participants reported that they had benefited tremendously from the session and made commitments to inform colleagues at their work places and in their unions about some of the information gleaned at the seminar.