Labour Will Not Implode

Details

Politics

Tuesday, 08 May 2012 02:30

By Alex Holder

Antigua St John's - Hundreds gathered in spite of the inclement on Market Street on Monday to join the Antigua Trades and Labour Union (AT&LU) and the Antigua Labour Party (ALP) in observation of their 61st Labour Day celebrations.

The gathering was softened with the message that the two groups would not implode from outside pressures, but will instead continue to forge forward in the interest of the people.

General Secretary of the AT&LU Alrick Daniel spoke of the unlawful influence of ‘consultants’ on the local labour force, as well as the challenges of keeping employers in line through trials of the system. He also vowed that the alliance between the AT&LU and the ALP would never be broken. Daniel was the only trade unionist to address the gathering on Monday.

ALP Spokesman Lionel ‘Max’ Hurst reminded the gathering of the struggles of the stalwarts and the achievements of the AT&LU over the decades, while MP and Senior ALP Member Molwyn Joseph spoke of the country’s workforce having to endure increases in all aspects of their lives without the benefit of an upturn in their wages and salaries to keep up with these changes.

“The people of Antigua and Barbuda are concerned about all aspects of their lives… The workers of Antigua and Barbuda are tired,” Joseph said.

He called for a referendum on the sitting government in the name of labour, especially considering the fact that the country’s labour system is being infiltrated by Chinese Immigrants who are unfairly competing in local market, coupled with the fact that Sailing Week has been taken out of the hands of the average Antiguan and the vendors have been booted out of what was once a thriving a industry for them.




“Most of the properties in Antigua and Barbuda, right in St. John’s, are being purchased by the Chinese… Right now Sailing Week is not for Antiguans and Barbudans,” Joseph said.

In the meantime, Chairman of the Antigua Labour Party Gaston Brown reminded that Labour Day celebrations in country started with the AT&LU and ALP politicians will always speak on the AT&LU platform.

“You can’t separate the ALP from the AT&LU because they are inseparable,” Brown said, adding that the TUC should consider marching with the AT&LU/ALP rather than waiting for it to happen the other way around.

Addressing “those who continue to sow the seeds of discord” within the institution of the AT&LU/ALP, the deputy opposition leader vowed that such a division would never occur.

“At the end of the day it is one movement – one leader, one deputy leader, one chairman and one general secretary – and I want y’all to understand that.”

“Those of you who subliminally threaten to divide this institution, I want to say today that you will not succeed… We will not implode. We will not fight each other… So I call on those of you who continue to provoke this movement, to fall in line,” Brown said.

Moreover, he cautioned individuals from across the board who “continue to pronounce candidates” ahead of the official polls and potential primaries, that they were not doing any good to the movement.



“Those of you who continue to divide this institution, you are going to live to regret it. I am warning you… let us commit ourselves to perform in solidarity,” Brown said.

In the meantime, a slightly ill leader of the ALP Lester Bird commented from the confines of his vehicle that despite the Prime Minister’s shunning of the proposed vote of no confidence against him at the next Parliament, he and the ALP will undoubtedly move forward with tabling such a poll.

• < Prev
• Next >