What do pan people really mean when they talk about a panorama "strike" ?
As a former union negotiator and local lodge president (LL 2503 0f the IAM&AW), I've always taken a strike very seriously , since the idea was to pressure the employer by withholding skilled labor and forcing a compromise.
I've always considered a strike a weapon of last resort , since it meant a failure of negotiations.
However , before negotiations , we would get a strike authorization vote , which signified to the employer that membership was united , and would strike if necessary , and if the negotiating committee called for it.
We knew , however , that when we struck everyone lost, since our pockets would be affected by lost wages , while the employer was affected by lost , or inefficient production.
Since the steelbands have become irrelevant to the main course of Carnival which is the street parade,I am not sure how effective such a strike would be , since to be honest , as the steelband's participation in the street parade has diminished , the effect would mostly be felt by panorama aficionados and players.
I have a feeling that there will be little outcry from the general public , and so the government would care less , except maybe pay a little lip service.
As far as I know , pan people have little if any organized political clout.
This would also have to involve the individual steelband leadership .
In my experience , not all steelbands are democratic organizations , and their leaders may be on a different page than the players.
And I would also imagine that tuners and arrangers may have different perspectives.
So , what happens if players strike ?
Since players are not unionized , bands can recruit and train new players , if inclined to do so.
Maybe the quality of the players available for panorama will take a hit , but the beat will go on.
Ladies and gentlemen , the word is "moratorium".
What we need is a moratorium from panorama for a year or two , and a complete assessment and evaluation of panorama , its structure , organization , efficiency , funding and allocation of those funds.
The panorama festival is a valuable cultural asset , but questions need to be asked , including whether that asset is best deployed at Carnival time in competition with other carnival activities ?
Or whether that asset can be used more efficiently as the basis for an new mid-year festival , entirely devoted to the steelband and steelpan activities , and to promoting and advancing steelband culture.
Replies
Glenroy,
You have posted a really good article. First, it is based on personal experience and expertise regarding what happens when there is a breakdown of negotiations that leads to a strike. Second, your article is grounded on pragmatism instead of romanticism. Third, you propose a solution that is not based on short-term needs, thereby eliminating the need to revisit the same issue [strike/no strike] annually. Fourth, you have asked a couple of hard questions that all stakeholders need to be examining, especially in light of the
IMF’ s August 2017 warning “that sustainable fiscal adjustment [in Trinidad & Tobago] will require additional measures (including containment of current expenditure) to rebalance the public finances,” and the weekly reports of institutional failure [whether UTT, hospitals etc.].
Please see attached files....
2018 Panorama Budget ratified by PTB and NCC
The denial by the President
Justification for Strike Action?....ask your questions and I will tell no lies.
Regards
IMG_20171115_133931.jpg
Gregory Lindsay Correspondance.pdf
make sense to me.
Actually it is a strike action that will shut it down. And it has to be shut down. There is labor involved. It is a labor of love. That's how it started. Now it is a labor of love and for small salary. In PT's Articles it is contractual agreement. By law, a constitution is looked upon as an Agreement of Rights, Privileges, and Contracts. There nothing voluntary in PT's Constitution. Everything is spelled out. It is an Agreement between two parties. PT and its member bands. The government if it accepts the present standard is also acting illegally because it is giving millions of dollars to an institute that was proclaimed through an Act of Parliament the highest court in the land. The Parliament is the topmost court in the sense that it makes the laws of the country. Then the High courts follow suit to consider the case against the government to other organizations, and persons. On the part of the government they do have the authority to bring PT to task for it may work against them in the long run. The political side came in where the earliest of the PNM government wanted to attract followers of a particular class and ethnic background of Trinidadians and Tobago. The steelband movement fitted that class and ethnic of Trinidadian which is still mostly so. So from a political view that class and ethnic people can rise up against what is nothing short of using people's live to control. That is there on both sides of the coin of ethnicity. The legal contract with PT and between its steelband members is obviously broken. There is nothing in this world to stop steebands from running their own Panorama event. Right there in the Savannah. It can be done with the large bands and thousands will show up. They can get prize monies from the business community. Now when that sort of "strike actions" takes place, then negotiations can start. The second follow up of the legal aspect is that steelband members can sue PT for monies owed to them. It is law. We are not an uncivilized country. We have written laws to govern these things. PT and the government can both be sued simply on the point that it a contractual arrangement. The government in terms of Panorama acts as the Chief promoter of the great panorama show., by funding the event. That funding includes the payment by Contract of PT who was contracted by Government to organize and run the Panorama event. Within PT constitution lies what will be the payment to steelband members. First there is an appearance fee for all bands big or small. Second there are prizes for the top winning bands. Then within recent years both the government and PT agreed that there should be a consideration fee of $1000.00 per band player. On the other side the steelband members have to observe these contract. Consideration is given to misbehavior of bands while on stage, set up time and performances of the length of the performance and many other contractual agreements with the steelbands including how far can they practise on the stretch . Every year PT may make alteration of those agreements. But when new agreements are made and votes taken it is that time the band members of PT must agree or disagree through the voting rights. In my opinion this case should lead to the courts. The case is the steelband against PT in Panorama management and pay master, and government being the Promoter of the show. What is happening as we grow older in T&T become more of slaves to a broken and corrupted system. In my thinking it is even more than a strke action that is necessary. The steelbands can revolt against this current establishment. This now required big time. Otherwise it has already reached the stage of the Promotor passing the buck either to the NCC and or PT. If accepted like is, it is a great disrespect to one of the world's greatest musical inventons on this planet. T&T remains the worst place for the steelpan.
One has to assume that panorama funding is actually part of the government funding of arts and culture.
Therefore there should be a way for steelbands to acquire those funds whether or not panorama was held at Carnival time.
The whole dispute seems to be how the funding is distributed , with players getting the crappy end of the stick.
That is why it may be a good idea to suspend panorama while such issues are sorted out.
The reason I use the term "moratorium" is because it means a pause agreed upon by all sides while issues are sorted out , instead of a strike , which is a unilateral action..
You people are crazy, ban , boycott, moratorium, same damm thing. To much talk.
That's a big part of the problem , Patrick. a lack of understanding and therefore a failure to communicate.
I'm not going to explain the differences between a ban , boycott , a strike and a moratorium.
These are all different.
I assume you have a computer.
Google those words if you don't understand their differences.
To get around the money problem they have to let the Government withhold players money off the top and let panorama organizers deal with the rest.
Is it really the money or the principle of the matter? Why does it take a whole year after the panorama to pay players? Where is the transparency and accountability in terms of how Pan Trinbago is governed? The idea of moving the panorama to another time of the year doesn't address the corruption within Pan Trinbago. The same cesspool will remain if the structure and laws of that organization are not questioned, challenged, reformed or completely replaced with something else. We know who the scamps, charlatans, crooks are, but for some reason these cats are allowed to go from band to band, organization to organization freely, gain positions of authority and cause more havoc, destruction and shenanigans. It happens right here in the NYC steelband community. It's like watching a man burying his head in a pan of water but fire is still coming out of his tail. It makes you scratch your head.
Funny thing is, in NYC players don't get paid. I roll my eyes whenever people describe "endless hours in the pan yard practicing" as if it were hard labor. Or putting players on the level of the professionals in the band: arranger, tuner, even driller and drummer. So a student must be paid because their teacher is? A little league player must get paid because the coach is? Meanwhile most bands operate in the red and panorama attendance is a joke. It's this money-first approach to a grassroots artform without consideration for its economic realities that's killing it. Whether it is the current executive or a hustler with a backpack full of jerseys at semifinals, a con is still a con.
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