THE VALLEY, ANGUILLA – Ms Susan Hodge President of the Anguilla Civil Service Association (ACSA) and President of the Caribbean Public Services Association (CPSA), presided over her first Executive Council Meeting as President of the CPSA 11-14 October in Grenada.
Hosted by the Grenada Public Workers Union the Executive Council of CPSA met to discuss a number of regional public service union issues, the one and a half day council meeting was preceded for the first time by a one and a half day workshop facilitated by regional trade union leaders. The diverse topics discussed included:
- Legal options for dealing with Trade Union disputes: A review of recent experiences and lessons learnt;
- Yes! Climate change is a trade union issue;
- The global/local connection;
- Threats to the employment of Public Officers – Constitution reform in Grenada;
- Partisan Trade Unionism – public service sector union perspectives;
- The workshop culminated in a panel discussion on “Industrial Relations in the Caribbean: Current and future trends”.
Ms Hodge then presided as Chairperson over the Executive Council Meeting to discuss the business of the CPSA, with her General Secretary Brother Thomas Letang, from the Dominica Public Service Union (DPSU) and Sister Sandra Williams-Braithwaite, 1st Vice-President, from the Antigua & Barbuda Public Service Union (ABPSA), joining her at the head table.
The 2nd Vice-President John Pinder of the Bahamas Public Service union was unable to attend as a result of damage caused by Hurricane Matthew in Bahamas.
Eleven (11) public service unions were in attendance for the meeting from Bermuda, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, St. Lucia, Montserrat, Dominica and host country Grenada.
The next CPSA ExCo meeting will be held in mid-February in Jamaica. The 47th CPSA Annual Conference will be held in Anguilla July 2017, hosted by the Anguilla Civil Service Association.
The CPSA is a grouping of public sector trade unions in the Caribbean which aim to promote and strengthen unity among public service trade unions, provide technical assistance to member organizations as they continue to protect the rights and privileges of their members, coordinating the education and training of members and/or associations in the Caribbean region.