Trade
Union Common Platform
The Trade Union Common Platform
concludes that the White Paper for a new legal framework for Industrial
Relation in the Republic of Mauritius presented by the government, has in fact
incorporated most of the employers’ philosophy, analysis, concerns and
proposals while rejecting almost all of the trade union movement proposals.
The objective of the bosses is to, make the
working people and coming generations shoulder the burden of the ‘globalisation
crisis’ and the bankruptcy of their neo-liberal economic development strategy.
This is what the White Paper fundamentally aims at: to impose pseudo
collective bargaining, without real right to strike in order to lessen existing
minimal wages and work conditions. Coupled with the proliferation of
precarious labour, the codification of what is being proposed in the White
Paper into a new legislation will inevitably lead to a decline in the
bargaining power of the working class and lead to a general decrease in wages and
work condition in the coming years. The
trade union movement stands up and objects to what can be considered as one of
the most dangerous attack ever made against the interest of working people of
this country. We reject the very philosophy of the White Paper.
While introducing the concept of “concession bargaining” which makes it
possible for lessening existing sectoral wages and working condition, the White
Paper make it quasi impossible for workers to use the right to strike to defend
their existing living standards, let alone the possibility to acquire new
rights.
We consider the presentation of
such proposals as a lack of respect and an insult towards all those people who
have bravely struggled, have been victimised or who have even fallen in the struggle
against IRA. Working people deserve more respect and consideration than that
after 33 years of struggle against the IRA.
The Trade Union Common Platform
opines that the White Paper in its present form cannot be codified and
form the basis of a new industrial relations legislation. It departs from and
betrays most of the demands and struggle of
workers and democratic movement of the country for the last 30 years.
We believe that the White Paper
should be completely revisited and be subject to national debate before
any new legislation is brought in replacement of the IRA in the National
Assembly.
We would like once again to
stress that our rejection of the underlying philosophy and core proposals of
the White Paper cannot be construed as an acceptance of the existing IRA. Our
struggle is for a democratic industrial relations legislation to replace the
IRA. The present White Paper does not meet the expectations of the trade union
movement and the working class, as it does not propose a new democratic
industrial environment.
Should the government persists in enacting the White Paper in its present form without taking the trade union movement fundamental objections and proposals, the trade union movement will mobilise workers and citizens of the country to wage appropriate militant struggle.
Federation
of Progressive Unions (FPU), Mauritius Labour Congress (MLC), State Employees
Federation (SEF), Federation of Civil Service and Other Unions (FCSOU),
Federation des Syndicats des Corp Constitues (FSCC), Mauritius Trade Union
Congress (MTUC), General Workers Federation (GWF), Mauritius Labour Federation
(MLF), Free Democratic Unions Federation (FDUF), Confederation Mauriciennes des
Travailleurs (CMT), Federation of Free Workers (FFW), Federation des Travailleurs
Unis (FTU), National Trade Union Confederation (NTUC)
17
December 2004, Port Louis