BITU president elected executive of the International Transport Workers’ Federation

Veteran trade unionist, government Senator Kavan Gayle has been elected to the board of the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF).

This is the first time a Jamaican has been elected as an executive member of the ITF.

Headquartered in London, the ITF is a democratic, union-led federation recognized as the world’s leading transport authority.

Bustamante Industrial Union, leader of the Bustamante Industrial Union (BITU), was appointed on 17 October during the 46th Congress of the ITF, held in Marrakesh, Morocco, from 13 to 19 October.

Highlighting the achievement in a statement last Thursday, the BITU said the historic elections were “an important opportunity for the Jamaican labor movement and the nation at large”, pointing to Gayle’s long-standing commitment to negotiation and advocacy on behalf of workers. ‘ Local and global rights and benefits.

“The ITF World Board sets the organisation’s strategic direction, shaping policies aimed at ensuring fair treatment, safety and rights for transport workers worldwide. BITU stated that this election not only strengthens Jamaica’s representation on the global stage, but also strengthens the Caribbean’s voice within the international labor movement.

Gayle later said: Jamaica Observer He said he planned to vigorously defend Caribbean shipping workers during the five years he spent on the body.

“The transport sector is large and comprehensive and sustainable transport is very important. As we seek to make the transportation sector in the Caribbean more sustainable, we must recognize that this is not only an environmental imperative, but also a social and economic necessity. As part of the Caribbean initiative, we intend to work strongly to promote human rights and better labor standards for workers as part of a sustainable strategy,” said Gayle.

He added that he would also work to strengthen transport workers’ unions across the region and focus heavily on promoting decent, safe and healthy working environments for transport workers.

“ITF has recently acquired a new sector on which the Caribbean is heavily dependent – ​​tourism – so we will also focus on sustainability and resilience in this sector, given the challenges faced by climate change,” Gayle said.

He expressed his gratitude to ITF members and emphasized the importance of this achievement for Jamaica and the Caribbean region.

“This is a testament to Jamaica’s rich heritage of strong advocacy for workers’ rights and our union’s dedicated efforts to improve the lives and working conditions of transport workers. I am honored to represent Jamaica on the world stage and look forward to collaborating with global leaders to ensure fair practices and protection for our workforce,” added Gayle.

The ITF is widely recognized as the leading authority on representing workers in the global transport industry.

Representing more than 700 affiliated unions in more than 150 countries, the ITF stands as a strong voice for approximately 16.5 million workers in sectors such as aviation, road, rail and maritime transport.