Wednesday, September 16 2009

Yesterday the Ministry of Labour applied for and was granted an injunction by the Court ordering Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) drivers back to work.

This week’s industrial action by the majority of bus drivers operating out of the Corporation’s Port-of-Spain terminus not only meant that several workers reached to work late with the consequent adverse effect on productivity, but that scores of school children were late for classes.

The industrial action is frowned upon by the Industrial Relations Act which clearly lists the Public Transport Service Corporation as an essential service. While we appreciate the issues of concern raised by the drivers relating to health and security, nonetheless, the work stoppage had a needlessly adverse effect on productivity in the workplace, particularly at a time when this country which has been hard hit by the international financial crisis is desperately seeking for its products to be competitive in the global marketplace.

Monday’s industrial action had the potential to make several of the countries goods and services that less competitive not only in the international but the domestic market as well where cheaply produced goods from China and India, among others today pose a problem. What a difference even one working day makes!

Admittedly the PTSC should pay particular attention to the drivers’ grouses for example the taking away of an area formerly allowed to the drivers to park their vehicles while they were at work and the storage of old bus tyres on the Corporation’s compound creating a possible breeding ground for mosquitoes.

What appears odd though is that the Corporation in a media release referred to the severely diminished service as “some level of temporary disruption” without bothering to state that action was being taken to alleviate the reported problems and the type of action. “Both the PTSC and the TIWU (the Transport and Industrial Workers Union, the bargaining body for the drivers) are currently engaged in negotiations regarding this industrial action and are working collaboratively to devise a win-win solution for all stakeholders,” the Corporation declared.

Whatever the differences between the PTSC and the Union the workers’ action is to be frowned upon. When industrial workers reach to their plants late, productivity is decreased. While it may be argued that Trinidad and Tobago is essentially an energy based and energy related economy nevertheless there are scores of non-energy industries whose competitiveness will be negatively affected by late arrivals of plant personnel.

This week’s work stoppage would have also impacted adversely on scores of students who would have been forced to arrive at school late. This would have meant that they would have missed what went on before their arrival or if the class work was repeated for their benefit then students who were in school on time would suffer. But there is another uncomfortable side of the industrial action coin. It should be understood that no departures from Port-of-Spain, save for units operating the Port-of-Spain/San Fernando route would mean that countless numbers of school children using school bus services and who may not have had extra pocket change will have had difficulty in reaching home after classes had ended.

There are many senior citizens with free bus passes who utilise the Corporation’s buses to take them for medical treatment and who would have been severely inconvenienced by the work stoppage by the PTSC drivers.

We are calling for good sense to prevail and for the buses to hit the road on schedule.