Industrial Relations Act of 1972

Labor leaders in Trinidad and Tobago formed a Federation of Trade Unions in 1949. The National Federation of Labor was created in 1964, and two years later unionists formed the Trinidad and Tobago Labor Congress. However, workers were denied the right to collective bargaining until 1972, when the government of Trinidad and Tobago passed the Industrial Relations Act.

The Act

The law established the first Industrial Court in the English-speaking nations of the Caribbean. It mandated the recognition of trade unions and the freedom of the individual worker to join one. It also created a mechanism for dispute resolution.

Exclusions

Several classes of workers are excluded from protection under the law. These include domestic workers, public officers, policemen and staff of the Central Bank.

Criticism

The International Trade Union Confederation has criticized the law because a union must have the support of a majority of employees for them to have the right to collective bargaining. What's more, because collective agreements must apply for at least three years, short-term, temporary workers are not protected by the law.

References

• The People's Reformational Organization of Trinidad and Tobago: A Critique of Labour
• International Labor Organization: Caribbean Labour Relations Systems
• U.S. Department of State: 2008 Human Rights Report---Trinidad and Tobago
• International Labour Organizations: National Labour Law Profile---Trinidad and Tobago