By Samantha Simon
The annual conference of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is currently being hosted in Antigua, marking the first time the body has staged such an event in the region.
The event is a combination of the ITF’s Tourism Services Convention and its annual executive meeting, catering to over 100 delegates from around the world.
ITF Tourism Section Chair and Sub-Regional Coordinator for the Caribbean, Senator David Massiah, said he was excited by the potential benefits that could come out of this conference as they plan their agenda for the next five years, with their focus being primarily on how to improve the international tourism and transportation industries as the Covid-19 pandemic comes to an end.
Representatives from trade unions from all over the world will be discussing and debating strategies to resolve issues affecting the tourism services industry, emphasising solutions to problems such as precarious employment and the exploitation of vulnerable workers, not only in the Caribbean but around the globe.
The goal is to come up with plans to ensure improved working conditions and to amplify workers’ voices in order to shape the future of this essential industry.
General secretary of the ITF, Stephan Cotton, spoke to the organisation’s desire to meet the challenge brought to them by Senator Massiah regarding the position of Caribbean unions’ fit in the organisation after their re-categorisation by the ITF to the Latin American region, which caused problems due to language barriers.
He spoke of the ITF’s intentions to work together with Massiah to address the challenges of the region and integrate them into their mainstream work, especially with unions in the region being singular groups that cater to multiple subcategories of workers.
Cotton also praised Massiah for his contribution as the tourism section chair as it has revitalised their efforts in that industry not just regionally but globally, and said he hoped that this would encourage more persons regionally to become involved in international organisations such as the ITF.
Whilst at the conference, members of the ITF showed their support with the Antigua and Barbuda Union of Teachers who are currently engaging in industrial action to bring attention to issues including overdue position upgrades and school security.
The ITF is a democratic, global union federation of 670 transport unions in 147 countries, representing over 18 million transport workers across the globe.
