Trade unions around the world have been facing challenges to their relevance and their ability to command a place as an equal partner at the negotiating table. The push towards globalisation was seen as an important precursor to this trend.
From as far back as the 1990s, signals of increased pressure on the labour movement were evident.
It was in 1996 that then managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Michael Camdessus, speaking at the 16th World Congress of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions in Brussels drew attention to the issue.
“Yes, we are confronted with the hard challenge of turning a grim picture into one where opportunities could overcome the risks. Your unions have an outstanding record of such fights and successes in adverse conditions, not the least in defense of trade union rights, which so frequently go hand in hand with democracy itself. And I have no doubt you will remain faithful to such tradition.
“But this is a call to action for all. Indeed, the first Article of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement mandates the Fund to facilitate the expansion and balanced growth of international trade and to contribute thereby to the promotion and maintenance of high levels of employment and real income. This is the agenda for the Fund to complete and we are far from being there.”
The then IMF boss explained that while globalisation originally involved principally, the trade in goods, the explosion of trade in services, telecommunications, financial services and information technology had created industries and often better paying jobs than conceived of before. But at the same time, the process undermined and threatened millions of traditional forms of stable employment.
He also acknowledged that globalisation of trade, had chipped away at many of the protections trade unions had fought for, and achieved for workers.
Camdessus said: “Put bluntly, the greatest fear is that a global labour market allows extremely low paid workers in developing countries to undercut the wages of the less skilled workers in developed countries.
“Undoubtedly, in the last 20 years, there has been a marked increase in unemployment of the low skilled in most developed countries. There is also evidence in some developing countries of a large class of low skilled, usually poorly educated, workers employed at very low wages.”
While he suggested that this was not exclusively related to an excessive globalisation of trade, he did note that increased technology had also led to widespread job losses.
Globalisation has allowed us in countries like Barbados to purchase a range of high-quality products, that are frequently produced in places like Asia, Indian, China and Africa. But it has come at a human cost as it is often on the backs of dirt-poor workers who survive on starvation wages.
We do not have to look back at the 1990s alone to see that workers in Barbados and many countries have regressed in several ways.
The economic conditions occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a further erosion of workers’ rights and entitlements and it is something that government, trade unions, rights advocates, and workers themselves must watch very closely and lobby against.
The pandemic has become a virtual breeding ground for many distasteful labour practices. It has provided cover for many who seek to maximise revenue and disadvantage workers in the process.
We have witnessed here, the unilateral imposition of pay cuts by some established companies, and the changing of workers’ terms and conditions, often to their financial disadvantage.
Some employees have been sent home without even receiving wages and salaries for the period they have already worked and often without other long-established entitlements such as severance, vacation pay and pay in lieu of notice.
There have been instances where workers who were laid off, have been re-engaged but on less favourable terms. And who is keeping watch on this situation which tends to impact employees at the lowest end of the rung such as gas station workers, shop assistants, security guards, domestics, hospitality workers?
Workers, especially in the tourism and hospitality sector have been the most vocal in their fight to retain their rights and push back on attempts to deprive them of their due.
Over the past two years, we have watched some undesirable labour practices creeping into the system, that if allowed to stand, will not be viewed as anomalies but will eventually become the standard practice.
And so, it is in circumstances like these that we are left to wonder about the future of worker representation in this country. At the same time, we watch in bemusement and sadness at the malaise occurring in the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW).
There is serious worker apathy regarding participation in trade unions. It is regrettable that so many workers are prepared to go it alone because they have lost confidence in the established labour organisations in this country.
Our country is at a crossroads. There is much at stake and the way we respond to the current labour and industrial relations climate will have implications for employees for years to come.
