Page 17 - Trends - Labour + Ind Relations 2017 - Vol 3

SECTION 3

BREAKDOWN IN NEGOTIATIONS

For the period 2012/13 (Oct. 2012 – Sep. 2013) to 2015/16 (Oct. 2015 – Sep. 2016),
the Court received 71 new trade disputes in the General Services Division with
respect to the Breakdown in Negotiations between Unions and Companies. These
71 disputes are 2.3% of the total number of trade disputes filed. Of this, 58 disputes
were received at the North branch of the Court, with the highest number
(27 matters) being recorded in the year 2013/14 (Oct 2013 – Sept 2014).

During 2015/16 (Oct. 2015 – Sep. 2016), there was a 35% decline in the number of
Breakdown in Negotiations filed at the Court (North and South) compared to
2014/15 (Oct. 2014 – Sep. 2015). However, preliminary data for the first two
quarters of 2016/17 (Oct. 2016 – Sep. 2017) showed a sharp increase, since
already for this six-month period, there have been 17 disputes filed arising out of
the Breakdown in Negotiations, 10 more disputes when compared to the
FY 2015/16 (Oct. 2015 – Sep. 2016).

Table 3.7: BREAKDOWN IN NEGOTIATIONS IN THE GENERAL SERVICES DIVISION
2016/17
COURT 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 (QI & QII)

North 13 27 13 5 15
South 4 - 7 2 2
TOTAL 17 27 20 7 17

Source: Industrial Court of Trinidad & Tobago

Chart 3.9: BREAKDOWN IN NEGOTIATIONS IN THE GENERAL SERVICES DIVISION
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/16 2016/17
(QI & QII)
NORTH SOUTH

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