Integrating trade unions and the SDGs in Trinidad and Tobago to strengthen capacity, cooperation, and contribution

With a mission to “leave no one behind”, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are at the centre of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda, a global framework to achieve a better and sustainable future for all.

All the SDGs connect with the ILO’s work to support Caribbean tripartite constituents – governments, employers’ organizations and trade unions – particularly SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth for All and the four pillars of its corresponding Decent Work Agenda.

To facilitate how trade unions can connect more directly to all SDGs and the 2030 Agenda, the ILO’s Bureau for Workers' Activities (ILO-ACTRAV) has developed a reference guide on UN Sustainable Development Cooperation and the Decent Work Agenda. The resource seeks to build awareness, understanding and capacity of workers’ organizations so that they can more effectively contribute to and have a voice in the achievement of the 17 goals.

In Trinidad and Tobago, ILO Caribbean recently collaborated with UN Trinidad and Tobago and Cipriani College of Labour and Cooperative Studies (CCLCS) to develop and deliver a sensitisation program for trade unions.

Held during two separate sessions on 1 October and 27 October 2021, the workshop was designed to sensitize national-level trade union representatives about UN processes with a view to enhance workers and trade unions’ understanding, skills and capacity for better engagement in development policy shaping.

Participants in the sessions included representatives from the country’s three trade union federations, the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM); National Trade Union Centre (NATUC); and the Federation of Independent Trade Unions and NGOs (FITUN), their affiliates and other unions in the country representing all economic sectors.

“The successful achievement of the SDGs requires institutional strengthening of workers’ organizations, such as the ones represented during this training, to effectively contribute to the process,” explained Dennis Zulu, Director of the ILO Decent Work Team and Office for the Caribbean in his welcome remarks.

During the first session, participants were introduced to the ILO-ACTRAV resources, as well as the United Nations Multi-Country Sustainable Development Framework (UNMSDF) and its role as a roadmap for jointly achieving a healthy, inclusive, cohesive, equitable and prosperous Trinidad and Tobago.

“The key question being addressed by ILO-ACTRAV is how important and what is the unique advantage of trade unions? We try to explain the distinct character and participation of trade unions in UN processes,” explained Ariel Castro, Desk Officer of ILO-ACTRAV.

They also learned how trade unions are working with the UN system in The Philippines to develop labour-oriented knowledge products that analyse the implementation of the SDGs from workers’ perspectives to gain insight on how the process can be applied to Trinidad and Tobago.

A summary report was produced to help lead into the next session. The follow up actions in the second training included assessing trade union efforts and capacities to connect with the SDGs and advance the 2030 Agenda; examining national involvement in social dialogue, transparency and consultation; and developing a strategic way forward.

At the conclusion of the training, trade unions agreed to develop an action plan over the next six months to:

• raise greater awareness of the SDGs;
• create a monitoring and evaluation team to measure progress;
• integrate trade union priority areas into federation workplans;
• identify resources needed for greater participation;
• advance greater involvement in national efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda; and
• improve capacity for data recording, collection and analysis over the next three years.