MSJ head David Abdulah, in his message for May Day which falls on Monday, said TT's workers were in "a very precarious position", with most having no wage rise in ten years, amid a rising cost of living including food prices up by 25 per cent from January 2021 to January 2023, and transport costs up 18 per cent.

"Many workers are losing their jobs. In the last year there have been retrenchments at companies big - TSTT, Unilever – and small.

"Even the newly opened ice skating firm has furloughed workers who just got hired."

Abdulah said qualified young people can’t find jobs to utilise their training. "They are fed up and frustrated and many are choosing to leave TT."

He accused the Government of a systematic attack on labour, referring to closures at Tidco and Petrotrin, plus downsizing at TSTT.

"Their agenda is to have very weak or no trade unions at all, all the better for the economic elites to increase their wealth and income.

"The PNM Government in almost eight years in office has not reformed a single piece of labour legislation."

He accused them of just holding meaningless consultations.

"They do not care about the well-being of workers whether this is health and safety at the workplace or protecting workers’ severance pay and other benefits when companies close down."

Abdulah said when workers and their unions took actions to defend their interests, the Government used the anti-worker laws to stop the protests.

"Thus an injunction was obtained from the Industrial Court to stop teachers and their union, TTUTA, from 'resting and reflecting'.

"The Chief Personnel Officer refused to engage in good faith collective bargaining and instead of this railroaded negotiations for public sector workers to the Special Tribunal of the Industrial Court."

He said the Industrial Relations Act was anti-worker, quoting an unnamed legal notable saying, “TT has the most oppressive labour law framework in the Caribbean”.

Abdulah noted worker protests abroad.

"In the UK, in France, in Germany, in the US workers have been taking disciplined mass action to defend their rights and protect their quality of life.

"There have been massive general strikes and huge street protests in France. Teachers, university lecturers, railway and transport workers, nurses and doctors have taken strike action in the UK.

"Transport and airport workers and others have taken strike action in Germany, and teachers and railway among others have gone on strike in the US."

Abdulah said militant action by workers was not something of the past.

"Disciplined mass action by workers in defence of their interests is still the most important tool available to workers to protect themselves, their standard of living and quality of life of their families.

"In this regard, the MSJ congratulates the Yara workers and their trade union, the OWTU, for their recent very successful strike action."

Abdulah said on May Day 2023 the MSJ stood in solidarity with workers and labour, the MSJ's track record unmatched by any other political