Country Rating: 2

  • Repeated violation of rights

  • Countries with a rating 2 have slightly weaker collective labour rights than those with the rating 1. Certain rights have come under the repeated attack by governments and/or companies and have undermined the struggle for better working conditions.

Anti-union discrimination: On 22 October 2013, the National Petroleum Marketing Company Limited (NP) dismissed 68 employees including 12 union officers alleging that the workers participated in an "illegal work stoppage" at the head offices in Sea Lots, Port-of-Spain, in August. Indeed, the workers had used their right to refuse to work under unsafe conditions as stipulated under article 15 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (2004) from 13-15 August 2013. First, the workers were suspended and subsequently dismissed. The company has been engaging in out sourcing jobs of permanent workers to contractors which created unsafe work environment and would have resulted in job losses. The union staged a large protest on NP's compound on 30 October 2013 demanding the immediate reinstatement of the 68 workers.

The Southern branch of the company TSTT withheld workers' salaries for the month of June after workers employed at the Cipero Rd. Work Centre and other work locations in the Southern District, took legitimate strike action to protect their health and safety. Workers had instigated a legal strike after repeatedly reminding management of its obligation to rectify serious health and safety infractions in accordance with the collective agreement.

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