2006-06-14

 

 

The OWTU Speaks, recognize the high to which the whole country has been elevated by our Soca Warriors doing duty in Germany.  Good Evening and Welcome to our appreciative audience of our thrice weekly commentary of the OWTU Speaks.

This morning our offices were visited by a very enthusiastic Standard Three class of students of the Siparia SDA Primary School.  I met with those students- some twenty-five of them and their committed teacher Ms. Gabriel and we talked: Discipline and Respect, Education and Sport.  They made my day!  I have renewed hope, I have very great hope for our future.  We have good children and excellent youth.  At the end of my half hour chat with them all those girls and boys expressed full hearted support and predicted victory for Trinidad and Tobago against England tomorrow.  So all eyes on the Soca Warriors tomorrow as they continue to do us proud in the World Cup in Germany.

On the home front, battles of a different kind continue to engage our involvement.  There was a resumption of negotiations between the OWTU and Petrotrin yesterday.  Parties met under the leadership of the Vice President, Human Resources and Corporate Services for the Company and the President General for the Union.  Appreciable progress was made in terms of languaging and dialogue and some progress – i.e. some movement was made relative to the tangibles which are occupying us at this time.  Discussions were adjourned last evening to next Tuesday June 20th.

It is expected that the OWTU will have much to say on Wage and Salary fixing, Wealth distribution and relative sacrifices at our Labour Day Rally on Monday coming – June 19th .

All roads lead to Fyzabad!  All workers, farmers, students, Youth NGO’s, Unemployed, the Poor and unrepresented people are welcome to march and participate in our Labour Day Celebrations under the Banner of FITUN, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions and NGO’s.

All Roads lead to Fyzabad as we rekindle the Spirit of Uriah Buzz Butler and the Martyrs of the 1937 General Strike and popular Insurrection against colonialism.

With FITUN and OWTU, CWU and other progressives, the masses will demonstrate and rally with discipline and reverence.  There will be no mas in our celebration!  The mocking pretenders must be made to wait until JourVert February 19, 2007 to purt on their costumes, crack their whips and blow their whistles.

Labour Day – the Day that the Lord has made and that Butler had championed – is a day of serious workers and working class business.  Come and hear discussed some of the important struggles by workers here and abroad and many of the political, social, cultural and economic issues which affect us today.

Have a Good Evening!

Remember tomorrow – all our national energies must touch the Soca Warriors for a great performance against England.  On Friday at 7 p.m. in Fyzabad the OWTU Butler Labour Day Calypso Finals take place.  And on Saturday at 6 p.m. there is Tassa and Pan at Charlie King Junction, Fyzabad.  Don’t miss it.

Be safe

I am Errol Mc Leod for OWTU Speaks!

 

 

 

2006-06-16

 

Good Evening and Welcome to OWTU Speaks!

 

There was such great energy that exuded and such proud identification with Trinidad and Tobago Soca Warriors that it is easy today to dismiss any notion of loss.  We prefer to take the philosophical high road and allude to the lasting benefits of the oneness of purpose with which everybody seemed to have come together.  Of course, these would last only as long as the rest of us more committed to country would frustrate the efforts of blinkered politicians and other private agenda provocateurs to divide.  Our Soca Warriors did us proud.  They fought a glorious battle and while they were the vanquished in the match with England, they scored a tremendous victory uniting the Trinidad and Tobago population, Caribbean sisters and brothers and Caribbean people in the European diaspora behind our national aspirations to compete at top international levels.

And we did well – we did remarkably well – if our performance against Sweden and England should mean anything – if that fire and determination which carried our Soca Warriors with their heads held high – if all of that would be emulated by the rest of us and our leaders in Government, Business, Politics and Civil Society – we can also hold our heads high as we compete in the business of fair trade and other civilized world affairs and international relations.

There is great lhope for us if whatever we do were to have some consonance with country and nation.  We can do it if we try.  When we meet in Fyzabad on Monday 19th , we will bring that energy force to bear again on the issues that bedevil us.  We will cause a vibration that will invigorate us for the clear two (2) goal victory that we must secure against Paraguay to keep our second round chances alive.  But either way we have already registered our presence at the front benches in the world.  All roads lead to Fyzabad where we combine the spirit of Butler and the martyrs of the 1937 popular uprising with the positive vibrations of our 2006 ‘Soca Warriors’ uprising in International Football.

Be safe, be careful, save the children protect the youth.

Have a Good Evening and a Peaceful and enjoyable weekend.

I am Errol Mc Leod for OWTU Speaks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2006-06-21

 

Hail the Soca Warriors!  They have done us proud!

Good Evening and Welcome to the ‘OWTU Speaks’.

Trinidad and Tobago is better known around the world today than before our ‘Soca Warriors’ entry at the highest levels of International football.  Thanks to the Soca Warriors – our most productive of national sporting ambassadors of Trinidad and Tobago in so far as we may remember.  We must recognize them and celebrate.  However, we must guard against our abundant enthusiasm driving us into any realm of absurd indiscretion.  That is to say we should not over-celebrate; there should be no overdo, no overkill, let us not engage in farcicality or we will only stymie future initiative and stifle ambitions to realizing half-glories.  We did not win any of our Group B matches, we did not qualify for the 2nd Round Games: yet we were not disgraced.  We must celebrate the platform that the Soca Warrior Fighters in 2010.  That we have to start working on NOW!  Not next year, not 2008 – NOW!

And the emphasis is on WORK and NOW!

And it’s in that regard that we suggest that the celebration and parade and welcoming fete be done on Saturday or Sunday.  Another work day fete will seriously detract from what we ought to be seriously establishing now and for the future.  We cannot afford to suspend work and production and education and learning and just beat bottle and spoon and wine and jam for each half glory that we taste.  The latter is sure to cement a psyche for half fulfillment of greater aspirations and limit our expense of energies to defending known turf only instead of exploring for the capture of new ground.  Let us not condemn the younger and potential Soca Warriors to contentment with hald-glories.  We are certain that this is not the legacy which is intended by Dwight and Russell, Kelvin and Avery, Kenwyne and Brent, Dennis and Chris, Aurtis and Carlos, Cornell, Stern and Densill.  Neither is it the legacy that Shaka and the other fighters of our twenty three man squad of Warriors intend.

We should want instead to employ all of the necessary resources required to build teams of strong, conscious, even minded, literate, highly skilled sportsmen and women. In professionally structured and organized progammes which will not leave us wanting in competitions among the best in the world.  Our national economy and finances provide us with abundant opportunities for development at this time, but even so it is not inappropriate to call on all business enterprises and corporate houses who have benefited from and love Trinidad and Tobago and who feel the Pride, to contribute to establishing the Academies and Programmes which will build football and give more hope to so many of our youth and bring glory to our country.

The Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union loves Trinidad and Tobago and feels the Pride when our country performs and we put our money where our mouth is.  Our Annual Conference of Delegates, meeting next month will approve a Central Executive and General Council proposal to contribute to this effort.  South Africa 2010 in terms of distance and time is not too far away but still, the longest journey begins with the first step.  Let us not get drunk about yesterday but soberly begin today, preparations for South Africa tomorrow.

Forward with the Warriors!

Have a Good Evening Trinidad and Tobago.

I am Errol Mc Leod for the OWTU Speaks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2006-06-26

 

 

Good Evening and Welcome to OWTU Speaks!

In life, and as a general guide to motivation, one has never done enough if there remains more to be done.  We must however, in our measurement of that which has been done, neither devalue nor obfuscate any appreciable achievements realized but build on them, the positive energies with which we can advance our position in the future.

In our last piece, we admonished that the crop had not been sufficiently well sewn and nurtured and therefore, the harvest could not have yielded enough grain to be polished and put on the top shelf of the store, notwithstanding the hurried hardwork by the farmer and his household.  The climatic conditions and lack of proper soil preparation precipitated a forced riping of some of the fruit.  ‘That aside, our brave Soca Warriors did us proud’ – we said that.  And we say today that the government has also done well to recognize and reward the efforts made at indelibly stamping Trinidad and Tobago in the doorway of the arena to top class football among top class world teams.  Of course, more can always be done!  But to quibble today over who else must get how much, and on the lapels of which crosses must be pinned the now abandoned cross: is to detract from the preparation which we must begin now to qualify for South Africa in 2010.  we will do well to internalize that the top teams of the world did not get there by owners and managers of clubs and small town politicians equivocation or schemes by which gambling Patsys set about hanging Jacks or vice-versa.  Neither had there been allowed any room at all for wagon riders to prevaricate between self serving political agendas and national identity and country interest.

The great outpouring which we saw and which kept building from the qualifier matches against Bahrain should suggest that Trinidad and Tobago will no longer leave our football to the ownership of any individual Jack in the box or to the whims and fancy of any cabinet maker.  Our qualifying for South Africa in 2010 must truly be a national objective not super imposed upon by the politics of one side or the other.

And it is that which all ought to be committed to.  It is that to which the OWTU will contribute its widow’s mite financial and other support.

Forward to South Africa in 2010!

Build now for the future.

Have a Good Evening

I am Errol Mc Leod for OWTU Speaks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2006-06-30

 

Good Evening and Welcome to OWTU