Executive Director of the Dominica Employers Federation (DEF), Archille Joseph, has said the low occurrence of industrial action in Dominica has negatively affected the relevance of the organization and in turn its financial base.
Joseph told Dominica News Online that the DEF has dropped ranks on the priority list of various employers due, partly, to the country’s economic environment, but also the low rate of industrial action.
“One of the reasons is because the rate of industrial action in Dominica has reduced tremendously,” he stated. “There used to be a time in the 1980’s, to the early 1990’s, when there were more strikes, more petitions, more sickouts and employers would ensure that their membership with their Employers Federation was Okay. But now-a-days seeing that you hardly have no industrial actions, the employers don’t see the Employers Federation as the kind of insurance.”
He mentioned that a decade ago the DEF had about a 100 or more “collective agreements” concluded every other year but this has reduced significantly.
“We think one of the reasons is because people are becoming less interested in unionization, and not only from the point of view of the employee and his union, but also the employer and his union,” he stated.
Joseph views this as both a good and bad.
“Good in the sense that we are growing as far as our labour relations and labour management relations are concerned,” he explained. “We are growing, people are resolving matters internally and constructively rather than going out and form picket line and form a sickout. On the other hand, for organizations like ours and the trade unions, we are seeing a reduced membership and it affects our financial base and therefore we have to look at other ways to remain relevant.”
Meantime, Joseph is reporting that 2014 was “not a typical year” for the DEF because of serious challenges which presented themselves.
These challenges include the structure of the economy, the changing labor patterns regionally and globally and emerging trends with CARICOM, CSME and the OECS and the falling number of collective agreements.
Joseph noted that there is a long list of employers with the DEF who are into arears and only a small amount is actually paying.
To survive the DEF has moved heavily into management training and other matters, which Joseph said has done “tremendously well.”
The caption to this story is misleading. I know Achille very well and I had to call him after reading this story. He agrees that the caption is misleading. I understand his point is that the DEF has lost some paying members because of the toned-down industrial climate and this has affected their bottom line. But they have seen this as a lesson, and are diversifying their reliance on subscription. If you speak to the trade unions, their story would be basically the sane.
And archille was recommending that people work on weekends and public holidays for no overtime or double day pay in ex-change for a day off during the week. Archille failed to realize that , even if you do the devils work, the devil will still get you in the end. You have absolutely no relevance to the devil. So he now wants the righteous (employees) to play devils advocate for him in order for him to gain relevance to save his lazy salary… It is all about the money. Shame on you Archille
Stop doing the Devils work
Stop playing Politics
Stop Kicking in your goal
You get what you vote for
Combos are you sure you understand who the DEF represents?? Who is afraid? and what are they afraid of??
there is no politics in that boss!!!!!
People have learnt to resolve their conflicts amicably, well except lennox, people are more globally enlightened, again except Lennox, people use tribunals and the Court systems more now, gosh again with the exception of Lennox.
I think Lennox Linton is attempting to assist Archille in his quest to be relevant, so Archille there it is call DASPA………
@joe: the donkey wants water ,hold him joe
People dont like to include politics.. but in this case it is political.. people are scared to participate for sake of political affiliation, political victimization… etc
What kind of headline to the story is this? Lack of disruption and work interruption is hampering the DEF?
Labar ka twavaille Archille. The more we try to cover the Bobo with long pants and bad band aid is the worse the Bobo gets. We spent years trying to make excuses for Roosevelt Skerrit and his lame government. We blame the world economic crisis even while our economy had no bearing on the world economy – we were not producing anything; we were simply depending on hand outs and favorable loans. Today there is nothing to show for the loans taken and the charity bucket of Venezuela is and will no longer be there.
Believe it or not the situation is destined to get worse. We can try to put a positive spin on the situation Archille but any reasonable person would prefer deal with disputes because the production industry is alive as oppose to not having did puts because of a collapsed industrial sector.
In absence of of alternatives or job options employees are reduced to a do lute humility and subjugation. Who is going to walk picket lines when there are no alternatives.
In this world people will meet with difficulties and obstructions. There are times the situation will be good and at other times bad.
Open your eyes and ears to world News. Do not be biased and blame the PM. The world situation is getting worst; not only in Dominica. I can give you a few reasons why it is getting worst. You have to be godly spiritually minded and enlightened to know that.
Can you read and/or detect the signs of the times? This is why I do not solely blame the government. No one should, wherever they reside while some are doing nothing to assist and enhance their country.
Too many depend on solely the government and blaming the PM especially when they are non-supporters. They cannot see, talk and comment anything but criticism. This is what makes it unfair to the government. Be broadminded. Be patient, prod on and persevere.