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UNI Global Union is a Global Union Federation that represents over 20 million workers and 900 national unions around the world. A meeting of 16 Caribbean UNI affiliates was held with the General Secretary of UNI Global Union, Philip Jennings, and the Regional Secretary of the Americas, Adriana Rosenzvaig, on the 8th and 9th of August 2013 in Antigua & Barbuda. A comprehensive report on the fractured relationship between Cable & Wireless and their unions was received and discussed by the meeting participants.



The company have ceased communication with their unions on the Regional Partnership Agreement. Cable & Wireless have embarked on a systematic process of de-unionizing the current workforce by conducting large scale retrenchment and contracting out key departments. There is clear and persistent violation of established collective agreements and intentional disregard for the collective bargaining process, contravening ILO Convention 98 – right to collective bargaining.



These developments will have significant detrimental social effects on workers, their families and the economies of the region. UNI is extremely alarmed by these archaic, anti-union practices being used by Cable & Wireless, and demands that the company change its actions associated with this newly adopted business model.



We cannot allow the company to return to the oppressive actions of the past, against which the Caribbean has long struggled. We insist that Cable & Wireless immediately resume talks with their unions on the Regional Partnership Agreement and urge the company to respect their collective agreements.



UNI intends to closely monitor the current situation, and while we do not wish to harm the company’s public image, we will have no other alternative if Cable & Wireless do not rectify their behaviour.