A cynical view of elections is that administrations are voted out of office because the electorate is dissatisfied with their performance, not because they are impressed with the Opposition’s promises. Whatever the reason, it is up to the incoming administration to improve on the performance of their predecessors. But improving a country’s position requires difficult decisions which will have unpleasant short-term consequences. Short-term is defined as one to three years. In political terms, that means that difficult decisions must be made in the first year of the five-year term if demonstrable benefits are to be achieved to give incumbents a chance to win the next election.
This explains in part why incoming governments magnify the failings of the outgoing ones; to better enhance their image and emphasise the importance of their decisions. The T&T economy was in a depression from 2015 overshadowing everything else. This ought to have caused serious efforts to reverse the trend. The substantial price improvements in the energy sector products from 2021 have masked the underlying weaknesses. The most important sector, natural gas production, is showing evidence of long-term decline. The failure of the latest bid rounds suggests that the energy sector may not continue to bless T&T indefinitely. How is this being addressed?
COVID-19 was a political blessing. People focused on safety first. Now that the COVID threat is receding, the focus has changed. Public sector wages negotiations now hold the spotlight and will dominate the news until the negotiations are completed. The improvement in energy prices has sharpened expectations.
How does one explain the closure of the refinery, EFCL or TDC, or the ongoing downsizing exercises at Eteck, UTT and TSTT in this context? What of the planned reorganisation of WASA? And what is the position with other state enterprises and the wider public sector? What are the options? Retrenchments, salary cuts, or salary freezes? The port has been flagged as an area to watch as there have been announcements of plans to look for a private partner. What are the objectives or benefits of each of these options?
The CPO’s offer can be viewed as a marker. But his position is not new. Petrotrin’s offer to OWTU at the time of its reorganisation in 2018 was 0,0,0,0,0,0. The same for the various bargaining units of T&TEC whose matters were recently decided by the Essential Services Division of the Industrial Court where the submissions of T&TEC were upheld by the court.
In its decision pertaining to the Senior Staff Association (SSA) the court reasoned in paragraph 40 “…how do we balance the interest of the persons immediately concerned with the interest of the community as a whole…While we are convinced that the SSA is deserving of an increase under normal circumstances, we are equally convinced that the Commission is not in a position to pay any increase at this point in time. Should the court make an award in favour of the SSA…the court is quite sure that there will be no other option but to retrench workers…”
And in paragraph 43 it referenced an earlier decision noting “the court has a prime responsibility to ensure that the viability of any organisation is not destroyed by the award it makes. Indeed, its priority must be the preservation of the organisation and by extension the securing of the jobs of its employees. No order of this court must have a negative impact on the society.”
All trade union leaders understand the current environment and must be aware of this judgment and its implications in the current round of negotiations. One understands that its members will be facing hardship, as are most citizens. This is where hard-nosed bargaining must be tempered by good sense.
This is Labour Day weekend, and many voices will be raised in solidarity with arguments about the cost of living, and the power of the working class. But we have been through difficult times before. The options are complicated. But to be paid more, we must produce more: to produce more, we must work harder and smarter. What is required to increase the size of the economic pie?
Governments are elected to address and manage these issues. They can only be addressed through respect, equity, and dialogue. People need hope, a vision, and an action plan, not public relations rhetoric. Doing all three requires trust, communication, and leadership. Who will rise to the task?