More Shop Stewards Benefit from ABWU’s Training Agenda

The third in a series of workshops for Shop Stewards was recently held at the Antigua and Barbuda Workers’ Union. The latest group of participants hailed from the Security, Commercial, and Distribution sectors.

More than 30 Shop Stewards took part in the session which was designed to build capacity and strengthen the Union’s influence in the workplaces.

Speaking at the workshop, ABWU President, Kem Riley, said the Union was on a drive to ensure that all its Shop Stewards are adequately equipped for the task. Notwithstanding, Riley expressed some disappointment that many employees have become disinterested in serving as Shop Stewards.

“Some people are of the view that when you become a Shop Steward, management is going to victimize you. This is hardly the case. In fact, managers are calling the Shop Stewards into meetings with workers to act as a representative of the Union,” Riley explained.

The participants received training in the Collective Bargaining Process and in Division “C” of the Labour Code. Deputy Labour Commissioner, Pascal Kentish, conducted the training.

Meanwhile, several Shop Stewards were eager to share their feedback on the training session. “It’s been extremely informative! It was interesting to learn about the different forms of industrial actions that workers can take on the job,” one participant shared.

“A lot of good information came out of this session. We even learnt that there is a right and a wrong way to undertake strike action,” another Shop Steward stated.

Earlier this year, ABWU Training Officer Hazel Luke, indicated that several additional training sessions were in the pipeline for the Union’s wider membership. These include workshops on Occupational Health & Safety, Women in Development, along with Math and English courses.