by Linda Straker
- Lewis said government exploits workers by violating Employment Act
- During 2022 election campaign, granting permanent or established status to all public sector employees was promised
- Lewis concerned about recruitment of anti-worker personnel to serve on statutory bodies
“Clouds are starting to feel heavier, with a possible threat of bad weather” — that’s how André Lewis, President of the Grenada Trades Union Council (GTUC), described the current industrial relations climate in the country.
In his May Day/Labour Day 2025 address during celebrations held in the parish of St Mark, Lewis said that the bad weather can be avoided if the government does not allow itself to be influenced by those anti-union, anti-worker elements that are forever bent on fighting and seeking to exploit the working class.
Lewis, who represents the labour movement in the Upper House of Parliament, said, “This government continues to exploit the workers by violating Section 29 subsection 5 of the Employment Act.”
That section states: “Where the purpose or effect of a contract that is purportedly for a specified period of time or for a specific task is the filling on a lasting basis of a post connected with the normal and permanent activity of the undertaking, establishment or service, it shall be deemed to be a contract for an unspecified period of time, but only so far as it relates to the usual mode of employment.”
“The law is clear, why are we continuing to violate the law,” he said. He reminded that during the 2022 election campaign, the now-elected government had promised to grant permanent or established status to all public sector employees.
Pointing out some trade union concerns, Lewis claimed that one concern is government’s recruitment of anti-worker personnel from the private sector to serve on statutory bodies and to lead negotiations against workers. “The private sector leaders who were fighting the private sector unions in the major companies in Grenada, together with the leading corporate law firm, are now in bed together with the government. The government brought them in, and they are questioning some of our union leaders’ certificates and right to represent workers,” Lewis disclosed.
Delegates at the celebrations in St Mark included Labour Minister Claudette Joseph and a delegation from the Cuban Embassy.
We had heavy clouds followed by bad weather in the 1970’s, leading up to Independence and beyond, into 1979 and 1983. The entire nation sensed the heavy clouds, and the bad weather that followed. We don’t want to go back there. But, what is different today is that the heavy clouds that you speak of, are not felt by the nation, because it does not exist. In the early 1950’s, Sky Red was the pulse of the nation. Gairy just had to carry it along, because it represented the pulse of the working class and the nation. In the 1970’s, the union leaders, and NJM led the pulse of the nation. The heavy clouds were there for everyone to see. Today, with even better ability to monitor, the nation is not seeing those heavy clouds. There is no atmosphere for bad weather in Grenada today. Of course, disagreements would exist, and a union is expected to represent its members, but not every wisp of cloud in the sky bears rain. It may be difficult sometimes for a union, but, maybe, just maybe, the “principle of reasonableness” should be applied by the unions currently. That is the atmosphere that exists today, and not dark clouds and bad weather. If you hold on to that, then, there is a gross disconnect. I am certain that any time the atmosphere becomes heavy, and rain is ready to fall, Grenadians would sense it, and respond, because, quite contrary to popular opinion, Grenadians are not afraid of rain when it comes to struggle: The Caribs, Fedon, Gairy, Marryshow, Bishop. That is the legacy, but we will not fight any war of blame.
Mr president, no matter what you feel about this administration, and your obligation as a union representative to serve your members, aways be guided by this old Ibo adage, “never fight a war of blame.”