By Clint Chan Tack
Copyright newsday
LABOUR Minister Leroy Baptiste says government acknowledges the challenges being faced by the Industrial Court and will do what it can to assist.
He made these comments to the media after a special sitting at the Southern Academy for the Performing Arts (SAPA), San Fernando on September 17, to open the court’s 2025-2026.
In her address at the sitting, Industrial Court President Heather Seale outlined several issues facing the court. These included security of tenure for judges, amendments to current labour legislation, staff shortages and the need for new physical facilities for its various operations.
Baptiste, a former Public Services Association (PSA) president, told reporters, “I noted it and I assure you that I will be pursuing, addressing the needs of the court.”
He said, “I think there is some fundamental things, positions to be filled. They need more space. So those are critical things that we will be working with the court to meet their needs.
Baptiste saw the needs of the Industrial Court as an important element of the workers’ agenda which the UNC pledged to pursue should it win the April 28 general election. The UNC won the election 26-13-2.
“Actually, everything is in sync with the workers’ agenda. There is no issue at all.”
He said, “In fact, the whole modernisation of labour legislation which deals with among other things the legal tenure of judges…the appointment of judges…so all those things are in fact being addressed as we speak.”
Baptiste was confident government will be bringing legislation to amend the Industrial Relations Act (IRA) to address some of the concerns raised by Seale.
He was asked for a time frame for bringing new labour legislation to Parliament,
Baptiste said, “The IRA. We have extensive consultation taking place as we speak. I met with with employers. I met with the trade unions. We are well on our way as a matter of fact.”
He added, “The intent is to present the IRA and (amendments to) the Retrenchment and Severance Benefits Act, hopefully during this session of Parliament.”
Baptiste was hopeful this could happen early next year.
He was tight-lipped on what kind of allocation his ministry would receive in the upcoming budget.
But Baptiste was optimistic the allocation would be favourable to help the ministry pursue its objectives in the next fiscal year.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar recently indicated the 2025/2026 budget will be presented in Parliament in early October.
Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo has said government is committed to keeping the promises it made during the election campaign when it rolls out the budget.
