A DEFINING moment in its history was reached by the trade union movement last Thursday when it was announced that after three months of negotiating, a Memorandum of Understanding had been reached with the Jamaica Confederation of Trade Unions and the Ministry of Finance for a two-year restraint on wages in the public sector.The negotiations were conducted with commendable restraint and discipline and could go a long way to restoring public confidence in the movement for which this has not been the best of times. The halcyon days of post-1938, when the unions were celebrated as cornerstones of our new-found democracy, have been replaced by times of anxiety and concern for loss of jobs through economic changes and the closure of many enterprises. Coupled with this has been the perception that the unions are impotent to defend the cause of the worker adequately or, on occasion, have made irrational decisions in the course of negotiations which have not benefited the workers.
The result, in the words of Senator Dwight Nelson, vice-president of the JCTU is that "We are in a period where anti-union sentiments are very strong." In such a context, it would have been very tempting for the unions to play the adversarial role to the hilt, but with commendable pragmatism, they chose a more laudable course. Senator Nelson has candidly admitted that, in the present financial crisis, the objective has been to save jobs, if for no other reason than enlightened self-interest. To do otherwise would be to further weaken the unions, he admitted.
An interesting feature of the Memorandum is the restraints which are placed not only on public sector workers but on elected officials, from Cabinet Ministers down through the ranks to Mayors and Parish Councillors. The public has long called for such parity, arguing that if the belt is to be tightened, all sectors of "the body" should be subject to the same discipline.
It is early days yet to see how the agreed pact will play out and what real effect it will have in trying to put the brakes on spiralling public expenditure in a time of fiscal drought. It is of interest to note also that the MOU makes room for manoeuvre, when dealing with some critical groups e.g. health professionals, teachers and the Constabulary. All in all, it appears that this could be a win-win situation.
The Government is not off the hook by any means. Inflation still has to be kept under control if workers are not to become disillusioned, for while it may seem fortuitous for now that jobs can be saved, if there is no recognisable gain, reflected in the battle with the cost of living, then a backlash could come for the unions and the Government. For now, a breathing space has been provided for the Government to continue putting its house in order. The unions have demonstrated that they can rise to the occasion. Let us see if other sectors will follow suit and be prepared to exercise relevant restraint in the interest of the nation.
