The present division in the labour movement is consistent with the history of labour in the country. It is clear that the leadership of organised labour has learnt nothing and continues its divisiveness. Not speaking with one voice on issues affecting workers and the country reflects weakness of what can be a powerful lobby in society.
Two unions, NUGFU and PSA, have accused the OWTU of poaching and have supported their accusations with full-page advertisements. In turn, the leadership of the OWTU has accused the leadership of those unions of improper representation of members' grievances. Ancel Roget did not put water in his mouth in Fyzabad when he branded PSa president Jennifer Baptiste-Primus a "strike-breaker" for opting out of the Fyzabad Labour Day celebrations. He went further, saying that "marching with PSA is like marching with the People's National Movement."
When Roget is laying down a strategy which does not recognise the boundaries of other trade unions, then all hell is expected to break loose. He said that "we in the OWTU will defend workers under attack anywhere by workers from everywhere." From this it is clear that labour unity is well neigh impossible. In other words, the "defence of workers" has given him and Fitun freedom to interfere in other areas outside of OWTU interests to deal with employers. He announced that WASA is his first target. Thus labour disunity is clearly the result of personality differences, strategy and tactics, political affiliation, and even ideology, though the last cannot be clearly expressed because of the present circumstances. It is clear that the leadership of Fitun still harbours a leftist ideology of a bygone era and acts accordingly.
Hence the use of labels of "reactionary trade unions" as against "radical trade union organisations" and "progressive trade unions." These leaders do not realist that they are of the past and that era cannot be reincarnated in the contemporary period. The experience of sugar workers seems not to have any impact on their thinking. That an entire industry with ever 10,000 workers (and their families) was dismissed, not by capitalist enterprise but by the State, seems to be unimportant in their thinking. They have not analysed and evolved any theory or model to guide their future actions. Sugar workers of former Caroni (1975) Ltd have not benefited by their docile and unquestioning support of Basdeo Panday and the All Trinidad Union.
Their support produced a government and a prime minister but now they no longer exist while he functions as though this never occurred. Hence the relationship of politics and trade unionism must be clear, based on hard experience. The tragedy of sugar workers and their futile support of Panday and the All Trinidad Union still await analysis.
