Responsibility of trade unions

Tuesday, 22 November 2011 00:37 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

THE postal strike that created a backlog of over 1.7 million mails had a difference from the usual trade union action that Sri Lanka is used to seeing. It was, on the surface at least, a fight to end corruption. This has a significant meaning for the rest of society.

Usually the strikes that take place in Sri Lanka are over salary hikes. While this is necessary, there is little action taken to address mismanagement, corruption and wastage within the workplace. The more enthusiastic trade union action has a salary-centric basis that is understandable, given that it is an issue very close to the heart of all workers. But can trade unions serve a greater purpose?

The stalemate between the Postal Ministry and the trade unions seemed unbreakable at one point because the Government refused to be seen as “giving in” to the workers. However, what was unclear in most of the reports is whether or not the Post Master General was really as corrupt as alleged by the unions.

If a legitimate accusation could be made against the Commissioner, the question remains why the Ministry did not order an independent investigation into the conduct of the official and ascertain as to whether the trade unions had a legitimate reason for their strike. Why was it seen as such a loss of face for the Ministry to admit that it had a corrupt official and take the necessary steps to make sure that justice was done?

In a rare instance that the trade unions actually stood for good governance, the Ministry blocked that endeavour and attempted to cover up the corruption. This raises serious concerns as to why the responsible parties were not investigated and the reasons for standing by the Post Master General. It is detrimental to society that the Government takes an ‘us against them’ stance when shortcomings are clearly pointed out. Instead its duty is to bring corrupt officials to book.

Even though the strike has now been called off, there is an important lesson to be gleaned from this – that trade unions can work for the good of Sri Lanka. If they are more vigilant about mismanagement and corruption within the organisations that they operate in and help to stamp it out, the service done for the country would be immense.

Take for example the fact that the latest Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) report details losses exceeding a staggering Rs. 19 billion from public institutions. If trade unions work towards reducing this loss, not only can they stamp out corruption but they can also ensure that the saved funds are used to raise the standard of life among workers.

A more concise dispute-resolving mechanism is also needed to deal with the interactions between the Ministry and the trade unions. Disintegration of the relationship between the trade unions and the Government means that the former are tagged merely as ‘troublemakers,’ when the truth of the matter is that they can constructively intervene to deal with a host of issues relating not only to their own members but also the rest of society.

Enlarging the vision of trade unions and making them a responsible part of the development process is an initiative that needs to be taken.