ECA Meets with Minister of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprise Development

Members of the ECA's Delegation with the Honourable Minister and Officials of MOLSMED

The Employers’ Consultative Association of Trinidad and Tobago (ECA) recently met with Senator the Honourable Leroy Baptiste, Minister of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprise Development, along with senior officials of the Ministry, at the Ministry’s Head Office on August 8th.

This courtesy meeting served as a means of reaffirming our longstanding commitment to constructive social dialogue in the interest of national development. Discussions included the need to advance the reform of labour legislation to ensure that it remains modern, capable of supporting a dynamic economy and an enabling environment for employers and businesses.

The ECA also underscored the importance of supporting national apprenticeships, and ongoing skills development, with a particular focus on creating sustainable pathways for youth employment. This focus reflects the ECA’s commitment to preparing the next generation for the evolving demands of the labour market.

Parties discussed the importance of promoting business development, the growth of the micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector, and sustainable pathways for formalization as key drivers for fostering income generation, reducing unemployment, and addressing wider socio-economic challenges such as poverty and crime.

In this regard, the ECA emphasised that importance of robust data collection initiatives, and access to timely, accurate, and comprehensive data as a critical component of shaping evidence-based strategies and data driven policy to improve labour market outcomes for the benefit of both employers and workers.

Both parties reaffirmed their commitment to continuous engagement, recognising that tripartite cooperation between Government, Employers, and Labour is critical to building a resilient workforce, a modern labour relations framework, and a globally competitive economy.

The ECA’s delegation was led by Chairman of the Board of Directors, Keston Nancoo, and included Neil Derrick – Vice Chairman, Gwendoline Mc Laren – Director, Giselle Estrada – Director, Ronald Ramlogan - CEO, and Nirmal Maraj – PR/Research Coordinator.

The ECA thanks the Honourable Minister and his team for their warm welcome and look forward to deepening this partnership to advance decent work, strengthen employer representation, and contribute meaningfully to Trinidad and Tobago’s sustainable growth.

Keston Nancoo, Chairman of the ECA's Board of Directors engaged in discussion  with the Honourable Minister