Government’s decision to dissolve the Tourism Development Company was halted by the Industrial Court yesterday.
This is according to the secretary general of the Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) Joseph Remy in an interview outside the court yesterday.
The decision to dissolve the TDC was announced by Tourism Minister Shamfa Cudjoe during a post-Cabinet news conference at Magdalena Grand Beach Resort on March 8.
She said then the TDC will be replaced by two separate entities; one with responsibility for the tourism product in Trinidad and the other for it in Tobago. There are 114 workers employed by the TDC whose jobs will be made redundant and they can apply for consideration in the two new entities.
The CWU immediately opposed the move and filed an industrial relations matter against the company. It also promoted trade unions to walk away from the National Tripartite Advisory Council.
Cudjoe subsequently “apologised for the way” the Tourism Development Company dissolution was handled, but has indicated she cannot reverse the move since it was a Cabinet decision.
Remy said yesterday the union filed the matter because the company failed to meet and treat with the union, which represents the TDC workers.
A new TDC board, chaired by Gerry Hospedales, was subsequently appointed and Remy said the union felt that the sole objective of that new board would be to dissolve the company. Remy said Hospedales has been in contact with the union “and has indicated that they (board members) want to meet with the union.”
Remy said the TDC board “has an obligation to meet and treat (with union) and come up with a resolution of the issue.
He said when the matter was heard in the court yesterday, it was informed of the latest development.
Remy said the court advised the company “that it should ensure that the status quo remains the same until those talks (discussions) are exhausted and parties return to the court for direction.”
Remy said there remains a substantive industrial relations offence and an application for an injunction to be heard by the court.
He said the court indicated yesterday that “any action related to termination must cease and must never happen until that matter is heard properly before the court.”
Remy said the union was guided by that “because we are guided by the knowledge that there is an obligation on the part of the company to met and treat with the majority union.”
Remy, who spoke with union members outside the court earlier, said the CWU was now awaiting the process of engagement with the TDC.
He said yesterday’s ruling was a moral victory for the TDC workers. According to Remy, “It is going to be totally impractical, insensitive and nonsensical to take any action to dissolve TDC like they are doing with GISL and others.”
Remy said that because in the case of the TDC “there is a CWU present.”
He said no date was set for the next hearing as yet because time was being given for consultations between the TDC and the CWU.
President of the Industrial Court, Deborah Thomas-Felix, Albert Aberdeen, Kyril Jack and Kathleen George-Marcelle heard the matter yesterday.
On Monday, Communicaiton and Public Administration Minister Maxie Cuffie announced to closure of the Government Information Services Ltd, a media production company, because it was duplicating the functions of another media entity Caribbean New Media Group. Some 60 workers will be displaced by the closure of that company.
