Our Industrial Relations Climate
The TCL Group recognizes and embraces its ‘Caribbean-ness’. We the people of the Caribbean have been conditioned by our common history and culture, to regard each other and ourselves in certain ways. These cultural nuances have been the main influences and in some cases the root causes of inequities, disharmony, and conflict, in our society. The organizations in which we work have therefore come to reflect these wider values and in many ways have themselves become the main vehicles for the institutionalization of dysfunctional workplace relationships.
We in the TCL Group have pursued a different direction, leading to tripartitism, internal stakeholder partnerships, co-operation, conflict-avoidance, strategic communications and employee shareholdings. This new direction is well reflected in the Group’s Human Resource Vision statement and is intended to be the main ‘driver’ towards the creation and maintenance of a new environment of workplace dignity and high productive effort and output. We embrace the “high-road” standard, which is philosophically supported by the underlying values of Honesty & Integrity, Fairness & Equity, Mutual Respect & Support, Accountability & Responsibility and Trust & Transparency.
These fundamental principles guide our leadership personnel to conduct and manage their workplace relationships in accordance with the highest principles and standards of good industrial relations practice. This ensures that work teams meet and exceed their targets without counter-productive conflict or disruption.
Recognized Trade Unions Within The Group:
TRINIDAD
Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) – On behalf of the Monthly-rated, Exempt Junior Staff & Hourly-rated Weekly Paid Employees
Senior Staff Association (SSA) – On behalf of the Senior Staff Employees
Estate Police Association (EPA) – On behalf of the Estate Policemen
BARBADOS
National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) – On behalf of Monthly Paid Employees
Barbados Worker’s Union (BWU) – On behalf of Hourly-rated Weekly Paid Employees
JAMAICA
Staff Association – On behalf of the Senior Administrative & Professional Staff
Union of Clerical Administrative & Supervisory Employees (UCASE) – On behalf of Monthly Paid Non-Supervisory & Supervisory Staff
National Worker’s Union (NWU) – On behalf of Hourly/Weekly Paid Employees
Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU) – On behalf of Quarry-based Employees at Jamaica Gypsum Quarries
Mechanisms To Treat With Industrial Relations
The Group has over the years developed and maintained a number of alternate dispute resolution mechanisms for fostering a good industrial relations climate.
Non-Crisis Meetings
The non-crisis forum, which is bargaining unit specific, is set up to ensure the continued and ongoing dialogue between Management and the respective internal stakeholder groups. Its primary objective is to treat with all issues as relates to the interpretation and application of Collective Agreements with the aim of resolving the same before reaching crisis proportion.<