SO, matters concerning the running of Kingston Container Terminal (KCT) have now been settled and it has been officially declared and signatures affixed to a deal that will see Terminal Link CMA/CGM take charge of this national asset, on a concession deal, for the next 30 years.

The journey to this point has been uncertain, bumpy and untidy, but we have reached this juncture. The Jamaica Observer and more importantly the author of a series of articles on matters concerning the privatisation exercise at the port, Mr Vernon Davidson, must be commended for the excellent journalistic skills and investigative strategies he employed in getting answers and responses from various quarters for the benefit of KCT employees and, by extension, the wider society, at a time when very little was forthcoming.

With the dust still not yet completely settled from the rocky privatisation exercise, and with the dreaded reality that some workers at the port will not or may not retain their jobs when the new company takes over in short order, the Trade Union Congress (TUC), which represents the workers at KCT, has now awakened from hibernation and entered the fray.

It has held representation rights for the workers at KCT since the 1980s, and has not distinguished itself, to say the least. It has become fat and lazy from a lack of activity.

To many persons working at KCT, the union is referred to as the ‘onion’ because of its natural trait of bringing tears to the eyes of the workers. This ‘onion’ became even weaker approaching 2008 when the global recession took effect, and it has lost its way since. For many years leading up to 2008 and beyond, it has been considered:

(a) A direct ally or arm of management, based on its spineless and reactive stance in negotiations for employment benefits;

(b) A weakling in presiding over or participating in negotiations which have seen the erosion of workers’ benefits and standards; and

(c) A novice at negotiations. It has failed to achieve parity in terms of emoluments for workers at KCT, similar to that given to their counterparts in the industry, primarily those workers at the Shipping Association of Jamaica (SAJ). A case in point is that in 2006, salary increases were granted to workers at the SAJ for a three-year period to the tune of 11 per cent in the first year and nine per cent respectively for the following two years. The SAJ wisely accepted this offer and paid its workers accordingly. However, the workers at KCT, led by an ill-informed and misguided trade union, rejected the offer and ultimately lost out on that final nine per cent. That is still a feature of their legacy.

The TUC is also regarded as very reactive and lacks the necessary competence and skill to lead a progressive workforce. To be on call and to sit in on disciplinary hearings for unionised workers who have run adrift of company standards, and being present to complete a panel on matters of less importance, simply to give the impression of transparency, cannot be the role of a well-structured union in this modern era.

A major contributing to the parlous state in which the union finds itself is the fact that it keeps selecting persons for staff representation at the local level who simply will not or cannot challenge its hierarchy to deliver improved standards. The persons it selects for these roles enter the positions ‘given’ and simply fall in line quickly, not wanting to be elbowed aside.

With this very poor track record, this union is not only seeking to assert itself but to capitalise on the obvious malaise, high uncertainty and low staff morale now present at KCT. This union, having been toothless and ineffective for years, is now seeking to recruit workers once neglected and sidelined, because the element of fear exists in terms of job loss at the port.

With the announcement by the Government and the April 7 signing of the concession deal, this once feeble union has suddenly found some energy. It is now hosting meetings with the staff — a thing it has not done for years — and is posturing as if it can secure jobs for once neglected staff members.

There are close to 1,000 workers currently at KCT occupying various positions. Of this number, it is safe to say 50 per cent do not have union representation for a number of reasons, including:

(a) the failure of the union to convince workers of its relevance to them

(b) the lack of an effective and decisive education programme by the union to bring members into its fold; and

(c) its poor track record on many fronts.

So, with this very poor record, the union is now seeking to “organise” and recruit members of staff, for what purpose? Now that the proverbial “deer are running scared”, why is the union seeking to gather them in one place? Is this a genuine attempt at securing their jobs or is it about enhancing the union’s coffers?

These questions demand serious answers, as they are on the lips of many workers. Some are simply too afraid and even bewildered at the state of affairs. They are concerned more about their own future and have no interest in the union as a body, neither are they interested in speaking out on matters concerning the union.

Two meetings were hosted by Professor Gordon Shirley on March 31 and April 1 at different time slots, rightly so, to give first-hand information to the general staff complement as to how the privatisation negotiations went and the final conclusions reached. Professor Shirley was quite thorough and engaging, and gave the staff a clear road map as to what would follow in ensuing months.

He made it clear to all in attendance that a feature of the deal reached with Terminal Link CMA/CGM is that all positions would be made redundant and also that most of the staff at the terminal should be maintained in suitable posts when the new managers take over the port. Most does not mean all, and that is quite understandable.

Based on the structure that Terminal Link will embrace, some workers may not or will not find a place. Secondly, there are some workers who may not wish to remain at the port because they may have pending arrangements elsewhere and are simply awaiting their redundancy monies to execute their plans. In addition, others may not be considered for health and disciplinary reasons going forward.

The staff at KCT is quite appreciative of all this and fully understands the change that is on the horizon. What they don’t appreciate is the attitude of the union and its posture at this time. Its seemingly unorthodox approach to subtly coerce disorganised or disoriented staff members to join its ranks now, in order to be ‘on the right side’ when recruitment starts for Terminal Link, seems highly unethical, to say the least.

As a parting shot from its full control and running of the port, and considering that it will still occupy regulatory responsibilities at the port when Terminal Link takes over, I suggest that the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ) sit down with the union and have words with it regarding these concerns.

The PAJ should not abandon the workers at KCT, leaving them up to the wishes and fancies of the union. Instead, it should stay very close to the entire process, ensuring that fairness and equity are arrived at for all workers, be they unionised or non-unionised.

In addition, the Professor Shirley-led PAJ needs to recognise the KCT workers in a more significant way. It needs to acknowledge that the admirable peaceful industrial relations climate at the port is not an offshoot of any great work undertaken or done by the union, but due solely to the calibre of the workforce.

To a great degree, thee highly intelligent and mature workers know how to ‘ride the tide’ and to ‘see the bigger picture’ when called on to do so. These are responsible persons with families who have been shaped and held together by the time spent at KCT.

Full credit to all workers at KCT, from HR through to the Engineering Department; you have held strong and remained calm through salary cuts and freezes. Through recession, smoke and storms, you never once brought the port to a halt.

To the new bosses at Terminal Link CMA/CGM, feel proud and rest assured that you are about to engage some of the most educated, talented, dedicated and versatile employees to be found anywhere on the planet, and if possible, it is in your interest to retain every single one of them, train and place them in different roles from the ones they now hold, in keeping with your organisation structure.

These new investors need to recognise and understand that the workers now at KCT are all eager and willing to be in their employment and that they will give of their very best to ensure not only increased productivity, but healthy profitability for the next 30 years and beyond.

Terminal Link CMA/CGM can also rest assured that they will have a workforce capable of understanding and working through issues as they arise. The company should also be mindful that ‘RESPECT’ is not just a word in Jamaica, it is a way of life. If life on the terminal could be so admirable when nothing was happening there, Terminal Link should be encouraged because they are about to make things happen there.

An aerial view of Kingston Container Terminal which has been privatised.