What are unions? What do they do? Why?

Trade union renewal, union self-reform and similar issues are hot on the agenda for young trade unionists.What kind of union do we want for the 21st century and beyond?

Union members, many of them young members, have been thinking about the relevance of unions. The majority believe that unions are relevant - especially so in these times. But then they comment on the qualities that they want to see in their unions. They want unions to defend their rights - at work and in the community. They want to see their unions with stronger voices and influence in national, regional and international arenas.

Some leaders and members say that their unions need to be more "business like". And some talk about business unionism. What are the different models of unionism and what do you want your union to look like?

According to an article from the New Unionism Network, Buiness unionism is

Working hard on their presentations for the final day

Beatrice Alison Roberts (Guyana PSU) and Jillian Bartlett,planning a presentation

Lilia Auguste (st Lucia CSA) presenting her case study on bargaining in the electricity-sector

Janel Joseph (St Lucia NWU), Lloyquita Symonds (Bermuda PSU) and Shamir Brown (JALGO) finalising their presentation on trade union renewal

Susan Hodge (ACSA), Esrome Roberts (ABWU) and Jillian Bartlett (NUGFW) working on the dreaded presentation on taxation

More photos of the 2013 workshop in Jamaica

Bert van Selm (IMF) chats with Judith Wedderburn (FES) and Helene Davis-Whyte (JALGO)

Judith Wedderburn moderates panel on Jamaica and the IMF

Jillian Bartlett (NUGFW TT) prepares her presentation

Lilia Auguste (St Lucia CSA) receives certificate from Paula Robinson (ILO Caribbean)

Jillian Bartlett receives certificate from Paul Robinson

Akanni MacDowall (NUPW Barbados receives his certificate from Judith Wedderburn

Lloyquita Symonds (Bermuda PSU) receives her certificate from Judith Wedderburn

Participants in action - November 2013

Sis Beatrice Alison-Roberts (GPSU) on PPPs in Guyana

Sis Jillian Bartlett (NUGFW TT) (standing), sharing with Sis Sophia Lowe (NUPW Barbados) and Bro Esrome Roberts (ABWU)

Sis Lilia Auguste (St Lucia CSA) presenting on collective bargaining in the electricity sector

Sis Lloyquita Symonds (Bermuda PSU) talking about experiences in negotiating an MoU in Bermuda

Precarious work in the public service in Barbados

For their pre-workshop activity, Sisters Sophia Lowe and Trecia Boucher (NUPW Barbados) prepared a briefing paper on precarious work in the public sector.

Their task was "prepare a briefing paper/briefing note that essentially provides us with a picture on precarious work in public services in Barbados. Obviously, you will not have the time to do a thorough study of the entire public service. However, we do expect to get snap shots of two or three key departments, ministries or agencies, where you may have your largest membership. You may also wish to include an analysis of the impact/effects of recent budgetary measures relating to the employment of temporary workers."

Trecia Boucher and Sopia Lowe (NUPW Barbados)

After initial editing, the paper will be presented to PSI's sub-regional Advisory Committee (SUBRAC) for the Caribbean in March 2014. The plan is to publish the article in 2014.

Some essential productivity tools

The brain is awesome. But sometimes we still need a little help ….

Lots of things to do. So little time. And we’ve got to do them well. But, we have few staff or a very limited budget or both. Technology, when well incorporated, can be a lifesaver. Activists, shop stewards, delegates and union staff especially can use these tools. When combined with sound trade union principles and practices, they will bring substantial benefits to members. You’ll all be connecting, learning, sharing and taking action to build a better society for all.

Using Information and Communications Technology (ICT) brings many benefits to trade union organisations. And this is especially so when our organisations have limited resources. Here are some tools that we believe will help you with your everyday tasks. They will be invaluable when building your communications strategy. They certainly help me a lot.

But remember, technology is a tool. It is not the be all and end all.

Here are some of my favourites …..

Getting insight into Jamaica and the IMF

To be a part of an audience allowed to throw questions to a panel of persons that included Sis Helene Davis Whyte, General Secretary of Jamaica Association of Local Government Officers (JALGO), Devon Rowe, Financial Secretary in the Ministry of Finance and Bert van Selm, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Resident Advisor to Jamaica is something that one is not privy to in most occasions.

Sisters Jillian and Beatrice engage Bert van Selm of the IMF at the workshop in Kingston on Tuesday

However several trade union members from across the Caribbean were able to on Tuesday were treated to a presentation by such a panel and enlightened about different aspects of the IMF deal that Jamaica is currently undergoing. Persons would have known the background of the situation with Jamaica being in a tail spin when it comes to debt and a economy that keeps on climbing into the ground.

This provided great insight for members as some of them are familiar with the IMF with some countries having signed agreements in the past. However the feeling of the IMF coming to the workshop made the impact of what the trade union was about more profound in the minds of some if not all.

This in my estimation shows the important of the trade union movement to the global landscape and this should give us the impetus to push forward and ensure that the movement to protect the rights of workers is never neglected. To have the IMF in our halls and other persons that speak to the arrangement of the recent Medium Term Agreement makes is worthwhile as it shows respect afforded to us. 

Sis Sandra and others I believe asked pertinent questions but I think that the one that took the cake was if Jamaica couldn't get a write off of some of this debt. I wish  that we could have gotten an answer that suggested somethig in that regard but that wasn't to be.

Mrs Whyte a part of the oversight committee in relations to the IMF agreement in Jamaica was a wealth of knowledge and it is expected that the aspects related to workers rights will definitely have a voice in this period of financial regulation that Jamaica is currently undergoing. Mr Devon Rowe was able to bring great insight into the operations of the Jamaican Government and how they have posit themselves during this time of challenges.

This third leg of the workshop is only getting better and is proving to be a fitting end to a series of training that speaks to development and leadership.