NATUC convention "a great success"

NATUC press release, 23 September 2000

Speaking immediately after the close of the much delayed Convention of the National Trade Union Centre, the new President, Robert Giuseppi, described the event as "a great success."

The original Convention had started on 1st July but disagreements amongst affiliated unions over the elections had left the trade union centre with a President-elect in the form of Robert Giuseppi but no new Central Executive Committee.

After ten weeks of trying to arrive at a common approach, the outgoing officers of the union took legal advice and were told that they had the authority to re-convene the adjourned Convention.

Mr. Giuseppi added:

Although four unions deliberately stayed away, we had twelve NATUC affiliates attending which was very satisfying. We explained to the Convention that all the efforts of Senior Counsel Allan Alexander to mediate had been unsuccessful and that we had received strong legal advice that in order to get NATUC functioning again the outgoing officers had the authority to re-convene the Convention. And so that is what have done.

The only business remaining before the Convention was the election of the new Central Executive Committee. The most significant change was Vincent Cabrera of the Banking, Insurance and General Workers Union replacing Selwyn John as the General Secretary.

Selwyn John, who had been the General Secretary of NATUC since its formation in 1991, did not stand.

In a conciliatory tone, Mr. Giuseppi added:

This Convention was a great success. We have broadened the number of unions on the Central Executive to make it much more representative. We are now in a position to get on with our real work, which is to be the voice of labour. We have serious plans to take NATUC forward and I certainly hope those unions who were not at our Convention today will play an important part in the future work of the trade union centre.