ABWU official participates in international meeting

Veteran trade unionist and General Secretary of the Antigua and Barbuda Workers Union (ABWU) David Massiah was among leaders in the trade union movement attending the International Transport Worker’s Federation (ITF’s) Transport and Union Manufacturers Summit at Vatican City in Rome last week.
The aim of the March 4th to 5th summit was to contribute to the social and ethical debate of the people on integral sustainable development in response to the demands of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with special reference to the care of the environment and human ecology.
The two-day event also provided an opportunity for participants from around the world to hear from unions and companies that operate worldwide, and to discuss common ground for the promotion of social justice, decent work, equality, and trade union rights.
Massiah, who also serves as ITF’s Tourism Section Chair, delivered a presentation on the topic “Cruise Tourism for the Caribbean”.
Addressing the same forum, ITF President Paddy Crumlin stated that globalisation has failed working people in some key areas internationally, with 60 percent of the world’s workforce in the informal economy, including the majority of transport workers.
“There is a direct correlation in the rise of corporate power and the decline in worker’s rights, wages and secure work,” said Crumlin. “As unions, we need to be more effective for working men and women to be able to meet the tremendous challenges of the modern world.
“The world is seeing unprecedented levels of inequality, the results of a failure to share the benefits of growth, increased deregulation and the erosion of human rights, including labour and trade union rights,” he said.
Crumlin also cited the need for trade union leaders to continue to challenge the multinationals and public corporations that refuse to act in line with the true values of the often geographically diverse communities in which we operate.