Thomas Letang and PM Skerrit Agree On Importance of Industrial Court

Barbara 7th July, 2020

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DPSU’s General Secretary Thomas Letang and PM Roosevelt Skerrit have both agreed to the importance of an Industrial Relations Court. Given the protracted delays associated with settling industrial matters in court tribunals, Letang said it would be proper for Dominica to have an industrial court for speedy resolution of matters affecting public service.

Letang identified precedence of court cases over tribunal matters as one of the reasons for the days with resolving industrial cases. He said lawyers sitting at tribunals to hear industrial cases have other employments, and they abandon tribunal cases to linger when pressing court cases come up. He advised it would be better to have a full-time staff at the proposed industrial court so that cases can be dispensed with speedily.

“I think we should really be giving serious consideration to establishing an Industrial Relations Court where people will be full-time and will be able to really look at issues,” he said. “Why should somebody have a matter and for 7 or 10 years, that matter is not being resolved? Those who sit on the tribunal are providing voluntary service; they are employed otherwise.”

PM Skerrit conceded that an industrial court is important since it will aid speedy resolution of work disputes. He stated that he cannot commit himself to it for the moment, but that relevant authorities will meet to deliberate on it. He said it is bad enough that lawyers do not show up when a case that has pended for too long is called up for hearing at the tribunals.