Labour expert, Austin Gamey, has revealed that government’s negotiation with striking labour unions in the country should have been a tripartite arrangement with a proactive approach.

According to him, this is not a “collective agreement-based issue” where unions at the enterprise level and their employer, in this case government, represented by the Fair Wages and Salary Commission would have been negotiating. He noted that this is a matter of social and economic importance which is at the national level and not held by just one local union.

“I think somebody will have to give up something, otherwise, the stalemate may continue… But this has transcended that kind of arrangement. This is something that is placed under section 113 subsection C; not a collective bargaining process… That is why organised labour’s secretary general of the TUC highlighted this during the May Day celebrations. So, this should have been a tripartite arrangement on a proactive approach. That notwithstanding, they all went away from the norm [and] now the employer (government) is quoting section 127 (3) and (4) and section 161; all that has to do with when negotiation at collective bargaining level is taking place.
Austin Gamey

Mr Gamey explained that negotiation should have been at the national level, where “something which is not supposed to be part of a normal agreement [which is] Cost of living allowance” and has nothing to do with collective agreement is discussed. He highlighted that the situation has to do with some level of crisis where issues such as “food shortage, inflation galloping”, high interest rate and indebtedness of the country poses a threat to the survival of people.

“… Everybody appears to be in danger and the cost of living having been eroded massively, they will want some level of restoration and that is at the national level and not at the local level. So, there can be some people who are disenchanted, who are troubled [and] it may not be a trade union. It can be any interest groups that may want to raise something at the national level.”
Austin Gamey

Government urged to negotiate the right way with labour

Commenting on the inconclusive negotiations between government and labour unions yesterday, Mr Gamey stated that the “flexibility in industrial relations which is created under the law should have been explored” to enable both parties brainstorm to find a middle ground. He emphasized that both sides missed the opportunity to deliberate regardless of the circumstance they find themselves in.

“In the course of the brainstorming and generation of various options, it could have made an appeal like some of us have already done, to the teachers and ask them why don’t you go back to work as we continue to explore the opportunities that are opened to us.”
Austin Gamey

The labour expert conceded that although students will bear the brunt of the strike action, government is equally confronted with “myriads of problems including IMF hanging on their necks”. As such, the possibility of all those influences cannot be ruled out.

“Having said so, this is not the time for fault-finding, this is the time for national crusade to helping to resolve this matter. So, my humble appeal is for everybody to drop the deep-seated perception and drop the postures, including any ego if it exists…”
Austin Gamey