TIWU officers and shop stewards strengthen range of skills through ILO-supported capacity building programme
Courses developed and implemented to target union needs during and beyond the pandemic.
29 April 2021
Like other regions around the world, workers’ organizations in the Caribbean play an important role in responding to the COVID-19 crisis. Their efforts to find solutions can include tripartite and bipartite social dialogue, bilateral interactions with the government or targeted actions carried out in support of their members and society as a whole.
The Transport & Industrial Workers Union (TIWU) of Trinidad and Tobago is one example of a trade union that is focused on creating a path towards a sustainable recovery for its members and all workers in the country.
To enhance their ability to address key socio-economic issues, improve member support and engage in more meaningful social dialogue, 12 union officers and shop stewards from TIWU recently participated in a series of six ILO training sessions that are part of a three-month educational programme developed by the union with ILO support. This initiative contributes to the implementation of the union’s strategic plan 2020-2025 that prioritizes human resources.
“Labour education is also the laboratory in which activists invent new ideas for mobilizing, to face the new problems that they encounter in the workplace or which are of more general concern to workers. It is a strategic tool for building strong, independent, democratic and representative trade unions that can respond to the challenges of the future of work,” explained Vera Guseva, ILO Caribbean Specialist for Workers’ Activities, who coordinated the courses.
As part of the programme ILO specialists conducted training sessions that took place each Friday between 22 February and 26 March and focused on areas such as communications, occupational safety and health, social protection, international labour standards, freedom of association, collective bargaining and social dialogue and tripartism.
During the communications course, a new module developed by the Caribbean office to cater to the emerging needs of trade unions, participants learned how to develop, implement and assess a communications strategy by setting objectives, developing key messages, prioritizing audiences, participating in media relations, creating audio-visual content and engaging in social media.
“We are pleased to partner with the ILO to equip and strengthen our trade union and movement by extension. We believe that by edifying our membership, we can successfully promote and enforce workers’ rights, thus fostering safe workplaces and decent work for all,” said Judy Charles, TIWU President.
The TIWU training series is just one the many ways the ILO has been supporting trade unions across the Caribbean to cope with the pandemic. Other interventions include virtual dialogues, research assessments on the socio-economic impacts on workers and information sharing on the ILO tools developed for trade unions.
“I would like to congratulate the Transport and Industrial Workers Union for collaborating with us to develop and launch these courses to enhance member knowledge. The ILO remains committed to supporting the labour movement to grow is strength, adaptability and durability throughout the crisis and post-recovery,” said Vera Guseva.
The Transport & Industrial Workers Union (TIWU) of Trinidad and Tobago is one example of a trade union that is focused on creating a path towards a sustainable recovery for its members and all workers in the country.
To enhance their ability to address key socio-economic issues, improve member support and engage in more meaningful social dialogue, 12 union officers and shop stewards from TIWU recently participated in a series of six ILO training sessions that are part of a three-month educational programme developed by the union with ILO support. This initiative contributes to the implementation of the union’s strategic plan 2020-2025 that prioritizes human resources.
“Labour education is also the laboratory in which activists invent new ideas for mobilizing, to face the new problems that they encounter in the workplace or which are of more general concern to workers. It is a strategic tool for building strong, independent, democratic and representative trade unions that can respond to the challenges of the future of work,” explained Vera Guseva, ILO Caribbean Specialist for Workers’ Activities, who coordinated the courses.
As part of the programme ILO specialists conducted training sessions that took place each Friday between 22 February and 26 March and focused on areas such as communications, occupational safety and health, social protection, international labour standards, freedom of association, collective bargaining and social dialogue and tripartism.
During the communications course, a new module developed by the Caribbean office to cater to the emerging needs of trade unions, participants learned how to develop, implement and assess a communications strategy by setting objectives, developing key messages, prioritizing audiences, participating in media relations, creating audio-visual content and engaging in social media.
“We are pleased to partner with the ILO to equip and strengthen our trade union and movement by extension. We believe that by edifying our membership, we can successfully promote and enforce workers’ rights, thus fostering safe workplaces and decent work for all,” said Judy Charles, TIWU President.
The TIWU training series is just one the many ways the ILO has been supporting trade unions across the Caribbean to cope with the pandemic. Other interventions include virtual dialogues, research assessments on the socio-economic impacts on workers and information sharing on the ILO tools developed for trade unions.
“I would like to congratulate the Transport and Industrial Workers Union for collaborating with us to develop and launch these courses to enhance member knowledge. The ILO remains committed to supporting the labour movement to grow is strength, adaptability and durability throughout the crisis and post-recovery,” said Vera Guseva.