An Instrument of Empowerment for Workers

Editor’s note: Newly elected President of the Public Workers Union (PWU) Brian Grimes, is concerned about the state of industrial relations in Grenada; especially with the less than harmonious understanding existing between P.W.U, G.U.T and the T.U.C. and the government of Dr. the Right Honorable Keith Mitchell. In this exclusive interview with Barnacle, Grimes explains how the present intense industrial climate is affecting the morale of the Grenadian worker.

In your view how would you describe the industrial climate on the island at this point?

Well as you are well aware, as President of the Public Workers Union, my focus is primarily on the public sector. There is no shortage of problems, issues, and grievances within the public sector, but I will answer your question holistically in terms of the labour environment throughout the island.

I would say it is very tense at this point, and for those who have very keen eyes, and ears they would also notice the same thing. You have many issues happening in the private sector with hotels (and) banks, and I am talking about Spice Inn, ACB, and so forth, and within the public sector, you have the matter of the 4%, contract work, the unserved pension debacle, and so forth. So, if I have to use a word to coin the labour environment in Grenada at this present time, I would say it is very tense.

And is it tense because there is a shortage of dialogue, unwillingness on the side of the unions or the government to bend, or is it tense because both sides can’t seem to find common ground?  

That’s a very interesting question and If you talk to me six months from now I would be able to answer that better. I will tell you this, as far as my leadership style is concerned, I and my team, the organisation, will focus on dialogue, communication, in trying to solve problems. We will use all methods including the nuclear weapon of industrial action, which is the last resort, but we will try to solve our problems at the table.

So, the reason I said you will find out six months from now is simply that, I am a new president and I have to evaluate how the employer treats with our intentions to solve the problem a the table. But, just from observing, past periods, and I have served on the Public Workers Union Board before in a different capacity as Public Relations Officer, I would say the primary reason for the tense labour climate is the attitude of the employer.

And you are speaking about the government employer or employers within the private sector as well?

I am speaking about the government as a whole, but as you are well aware, the government sets the precedence and the culture for how employers generally treat workers in the country so, the private sector would be taking example from the way the government is conducting itself. 

How is the government conducting itself that is going to spur the private sector to behave similarly. How would you rate the government’s conduct, so to speak?

I was speaking with a fellow trade unionist, and he was saying based on his evaluation, many of the employers in the private sector are gaging the approach of government and using that to sort of utilising a similar method within the private sector. For example, in terms of payments and increases and so forth, they are taking the gage from government and it is not resounding well for workers in this country.

So, basically, I am saying, there needs to be, an adjustment in the culture. This is my initial evaluation, and this is not my final evaluation. After a few months within my tenure as the President of the Public Workers Union, I can give you a more definitive answer but from my preliminary observations that is one of the hindrances to a peaceful industrial climate in our country. 

But you have been campaigning to become the President of the PWU for a while, this is not your first attempt at the presidency, when you were on the outside, meaning not president, and you put your hand up to become the president, what were some of the areas that you wanted to address?

Certainly, I wanted to address or I want to and I will, now that I am president, the negotiation style. One of the drawbacks I saw when I was on the board in a different capacity was our style of negotiation, which lends itself to more emotion, rather than statistical evaluation and putting facts on the table to extract benefits for workers.

What would your style be, void of the emotion of course, how would you go about your negotiations?

I would go about my negotiation by fact-finding and presenting the facts at the table. I believe that one of the hindrances in us as an organisation extracting benefits is the fact that data was not used. Now, time will prove me wrong or time will prove me right because going forward our executive would be using a more data-based approach and in my belief, it will redound in greater benefits for public officers.

But if the government says that they can’t pay you the 4%, and they don’t have the money to pay you, what data can you present that could change that?

In this instance, let’s look at this holistic brother, if you are observing, you are a keen observer yourself, one would notice that the government is demonstrating clearly, that they have money to pay. Look at the Grenlec payment, we are talking about near EC$200 million, being paid in short order, does that give you a vision of a government that is devoid of capital?

Look at the fact that the government voluntarily, is paying EC$1 million per month, recurrent expenditure to a statutory body, which is supposed to be autonomous in its financial affairs. (When) you look at the hiring of people outside of the public service, the traffic wardens and other wardens, now make a logical deduction and tell me that this government is incapable of paying the 4%, can you?

Is there any discussion surrounding seeking legal redress on this matter?

This is a matter, and we have to take it into the context that it is a joint matter. We have the Grenada Union of Teachers (GUT), the Grenada Technical and Allied Workers Union (GTAWU), and we have the Public Workers Union, which I lead at this point. I would not be forward to take a unilateral stance when it is clear that this is a joint effort on the part of the public sector unions of this country.

It is clear the methods that we are using right now; we are using multiple methods, we are sitting at the table seeking dialogue with the government, we are using industrial action, civil disobedience, and so forth. So, we are using different methods as is our duty to ensure that the rights of the public officers are respected.

All of this industrial debacle public/private sector, how is it affecting the morale of the Grenadian worker?

That’s, an interesting question. If you do a random survey in this country right now, workers are feeling exploited. They are feeling let down by the system in general. Labour is at a low right now and it is incumbent upon labour leaders such as myself to do our utmost in trying to build back that morale to engender confidence in the trade unions and even to assist in engendering confidence in our employers because the trade union is not a war tool.

That is quite the opposite of what the trade union is. The trade union is supposed to be an instrument of collaboration between (the) employer (and) employee, to ensure that there are peaceful relations. Unfortunately, that has not been the case in recent times but it is our job to ensure that the morale is built back and build back stronger.

Confidence in the trade union, you said you want to build back confidence in the trade union; since the Chester Humphrey, Grenada Breweries issue there has been a lack of respect for the unions, How are you going to build this confidence back? Workers want 4%, workers want job security, what are your plans to build back this confidence within the unions? 

I could tell you that this will not be an overnight process. I am not sitting here pretending to be a messiah. My approach will be to work hard, to be truthful with workers, and to be extremely inclusive, letting the workers know each step that we take step by step, and bringing them along so that they are informed and educated on what is going on. Now, when that is done, it will slowly bring back confidence because they are a part of the process of rebuilding.

Now the fact that the workers have reduced confidence in the trade union as a bargaining agent, has that reduced the militancy of workers?

Well, I wouldn’t want to go down that narrative where there is reduced confidence. There are multiple factors.

The level of confidence that is existing now, if that isn’t heightened, can you see a militant worker as you saw in the past?

I want to contextualise this. My philosophy as a leader is, if you are given charge of a situation or an organisation, you are supposed to either improve that situation or organisation. Wherever the morale is at this point, I am supposed to take it to a higher level along with the team that I have or that we have. It is clear right now, the morale within the trade union movement right now is not at an all-time high.

Some feel that certain players within the movement have betrayed them but we are not stuck in time, we are a progressive movement. So, there would be different leaders along the way and I take my responsibility seriously, along with those who I work with to try and make that perception be a thing of the past and create a new perception and a new reality for the workers in this country.

Trade Unions are supposed to fight for workers that’s what we were told but you said the trade union is not a war tool, what is it?

The trade union is an instrument of empowerment for workers. It takes many different forms. So, it can come in the form of education and training for workers. It can come in the form of wage negotiations for workers, it can come in the form of winning benefits for workers, and those realities can be realised in multiple ways. One, negotiation with the employer at the table, or two, through industrial actions when all options have exhausted.

However, in recent times I have seen that there is a public perception that all the trade unions do is war, but that is not a fair assessment of what trade unions are about. It is a much more sophisticated organisation than what is being perceived by the general public, and we as new leaders in this era have a duty to espouse that to all and sundry.

So, when do you move from being a reasonable negotiating organisation to a combatant operation?

These things are extremely fluid so you have to play it by ear. Option one is always in my book, in Brian Grimes book to try to solve the matter at the table. The options increase when those options are exhausted.

In terms of the 4%, the government said they will pay you in December because we don’t have the money. Is there room for reasoning there or do you think you are being played?

There is always room for reasoning and dialogue. If we are being played? I think the government can pay. Now if you interpret that to mean that we’re being played, so be it, but as a leader and this is not just my opinion, this is the opinion of many others within the movement as well as outside of the movement.

I have heard respected economists, respected bankers espouse the fact that if the 4% is paid by the government, it can be sort of like a stimulus package. Think about it, the money is (would not be) not leaving our country as the EC$180 million with Grenlec. The EC$13.1 million, this is what the 4% according to the government will redound to would stay within Grenada Carriacou and Petite Martinique and the said government would take back even some of that through taxation such as income taxes. So, how does that cripple the economy?

Grimes, Where is this heading, where would it end and when would it end?

There is a reason it called the struggle, its a continuum, we are hoping that the government comes to its senses and operate within the interest of the country, by paying that 4%, honouring their debt, and their legal obligation, while simultaneously stimulating the economy, and empowering people to purchase at the various outlets by giving them the capacity to qualify for loans from banks and credit unions. This would only have a positive spin-off, there are no negatives as far as we here in the trade union movement are concerned, and many experts in economics are concerned.

What stage is the struggle at now, the one with the government for the 4%, the one with the contract workers and regularising them, where is the struggle?

Contract workers and regularising, that’s a very serious struggle. I am happy you brought up that contract issue. The phenomenon of contract work is destroying the economy of this country. It is one of those factors that is destroying the morale of workers in this country. Look at one example, to be a certified nurse one has to study for three and a half years. It is a constitutionally recognised position just like a police officer. How do you think a nurse who studies and is so passionate about her work will feel when a 1-year or a 2-year contract is presented to them that is way below the international standard for Remuneration.

What is the fallout of contract work?

The fall out of contract work is simple, you have a lack of security of tenure, you have a situation where workers will feel much more vulnerable because they can be victimised by their employer, terminated. There have been many instances where performance is well and because of political or personal reasons contracts are not renewed.

This disempowers the worker. On top of that, you are on a 2-year contract just above minimum wage, can one go to the bank with any confidence, and realise a loan or a mortgage for things like houses and land and so forth? That’s not possible. banks will not concede to those terms because it is too high risk and that in itself is destructive to the economic progress of workers in this country.

What about skilled workers migrating is that part of the problem. Is contract work leading to the migration of workers?

Well, it’s a fact and I am happy you brought that up. That is leading to a significant brain drain in this country. Now when you have that kind of level of brain drain, how is our country going to develop when the human capital continuously diminishes because people are looking to go to greener pastures. Now, this is not just as a result of people just desiring to leave you to know, this is basically, the government engineering a situation that is putting people’s back against the wall, where they have to go overseas to seek a better financial future for themselves and their families.

Now, going back to some of the workers, I am going to talk about the nurses because they are the ones that are leaving by droves. In speaking to them, many of them say, I would prefer to stay here but the way we are being treated we have to go. The monies we are getting, the financial rewards are at the minimum level. Now, one might say, well, that’s the nurses business we don’t care, but what happens when your mother or your child goes to the hospital they are faced with a situation where they are getting limited service because of numbers, they may encounter an overworked nurse because they have to do the work of two and three at the same time, which will redound in poor service.

So, this contract work has many reverberating effects and many of them are negative for our country and for our people, and we as a movement have to stand up to it to ensure that yes, it is not totally illegal because there are situations where contract work can be utilised. But where you have a profession that exists within our Constitution, this is ripping apart our public service, and if you rip apart our public service, you are basically ripping apart the engine of our country.

Do you believe that the government is allowing the industrial climate to prevail as a way of weakening the unions? Do you think the government is not doing its best to resolve the impasse because it can contribute to lower worker confidence within the union?

I am going to venture into a place that I haven’t ventured before. The government at this present time is operating with political impunity. What do I mean by that? In all industries, competition is a necessary factor for the benefit of consumers. By virtue of the perception that the official oppositions in this country are disorganised, the Government of Grenada is making decisions that they feel are impervious to any negative repercussions. This is an idealogy or philosophy outside of traditional labour talk but I believe this is one of the contributing factors to the situation that the trade unions and workers face in this country at this present time.

From your analysis of it, is it more beneficial for the government to have a permanent worker or a contract worker? Which is more beneficial from your assessment?

I am so intuned to thinking as a trade unionist, I need more time to digest that but permanent work in my view benefits the government because when you have permanent workers you have happier workers, a happy worker is a productive worker… So, I think generally if you have permanent work you have a more productive workforce, you have a more independent workforce.  

Where is this impasse heading now, all this trade union debacle, 4%, ACB, and all the struggles, what is that going to culminate in, in your view?

Well, I wish I had a crystal ball as we speak right now but I can just say as trade unions, we have a duty to struggle for workers to ensure that their rights are protected. Where it ends up only time would tell. I don’t see it benefitting the government in any way, shape, or form, having a country that is ripe with protest, unhappy Grenadians are unhappy workers but time would tell.

How daggered are your members and how far are they prepared to go. What is it they are saying to you in terms of fighting for their benefits? Can we see a shutting down of the country, where is this heading? Is it volatile and is it dangerous for us?

I wouldn’t call it dangerous at this point in time. You know the environment we live in. The strong reality of victimisation is real in this country, workers are aware of that. In terms of how they are feeling I can safely say with absolute confidence that there is an undercurrent of frustration re governments attitude to workers particularly in the public sector. Now you can see that in the protest that we have had recently with the Grenada Union of Teachers and some members of the Public Workers Union and there is even more frustration that is reflected in the numbers on the streets but people are hesitant because of fear of victimisation. That is why it is more incumbent upon trade unions and the fearless leaders that operate within that movement, to speak and be a voice for the voiceless.

And as President your mission is? 

My mission as President is to take this organisation along with the executive I work with to take to a better position than when I inherited it. My mission is to educate workers, keep them informed, connect with workers and not make them feel that I am aloof and so separate from them but I am tied in with their struggle. When I leave this organisation, whoever inherits it as a leader, is supposed to be getting a more robust organisation than they anticipated and an organisation that they feel proud to lead. So, basically, putting it in a nutshell, we are here as an executive to take PWU from strength to strength and ensure that workers feel that their dues are worthwhile and that they have something to look forward to in regards to representation going forward.

What would your message be to your employers as we celebrate Labour Day 2021? 

My message to the Government of Grenada and all employers, statutory bodies would be to understand the power of humility. I would like them to understand the concept of Grenadianism. In other words just because you can get away with doing certain acts against our people, that doesn’t mean one should do it. Employment is not always about the bottom line but it is about the development of our people, the development of our country, and progress. Industrial destabilisation triggered by ill-treatment by the said employers does not help Grenada as we march towards our 50 anniversary.

How would you describe the level of productivity in the public sector?

As with everything else, there can be an improvement, but what I can say with the utmost confidence every single success successive governments have spoken about it is as a result of the hard work of public servants. No policy, no dream, no idea can be realised, and become successful without the labour of public officers in this country.

Yea, but do they want to do more at this point in time? Are public servants more anxious to do more in this COVID period, Do they want to be riled up and more enthusiastic about building this nation but because of these issues they find themselves cornered?

Well anybody who has a basic understanding of human nature knows that a happy worker is a more productive worker.