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The Clerical & Commercial Workers’ Union (CCWU) General Council Meeting met on Wednesday, June 7, 2023, at Clerico House, Quamina Street, Georgetown, and among other things confirmed Sherwood Clarke as the new General Secretary.
The General Council Meeting, which is the second-highest decision-making structure in the union, also extended the Executive Committee to fifteen members for board representation of women and young workers.
In a release, the union further said, over nineteen Branches and Sections were in attendance for the General Secretary’s report presented by Clarke and discussion of the report.
The General Secretary’s report covered as stated below:
- Trade Union Unity
- Organising new members
- Union property
- Education and Training
- The Union of the Community
- Functioning sub-committee
- Annual Bursary Award
- Club Operation
- Financial Matter
- CCCW Credit Union Operation
- Legal Matter
- Future
Collective Bargaining: Negotiating new Collective Labour Agreements (CLA) to adequately satisfy the members of the Union regarding the transformation in the present state of the economy. We are in the midst of an economic transformation but yet as a wholesome trade union movement, we cannot move to determine how everyone moves forward. We must be open and frank to determine what is genuinely possible.
Branch Officials: Many are not fully trained. ln cases where some have been trained, they are not fully rounded. The Union needs to embark on training programmes. These officials must be prepared to take on greater responsibility. They are the top leaders of tomorrow. However, although they have some serious limitations, they did their best to keep the Union alive at the workplace.
Women: They get together to do only small things for the Union but the time has come for them to have a new focus. Strong unions need women. Many issues directly affect women. The CCWU must pay greater attention to them and offer some recommendations for solutions.
Young Workers: We need to harness the energy of young workers in the Union so that programmes can be designed to attract more young workers. lt is the young people who have got to rebuild the CCWU. The leader of the Union therefore must deal with the young members in such a way as to make them feel a sense of great importance. The young members should be able to advise the leadership of the Union as to their specific needs. The young members are the Union’s future and must prepare themselves carefully to take the baton of the top leadership at any given time.
