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MODE ALIVE CEO Gary Aboud is calling on the government to consult with the private sector before implementing proposed workplace reforms, as he said the proposed legislation must be consultative, data-driven, and designed in partnership with those who will be expected to implement and fund it.

In a release on January 19, he said the proposed workplace reforms announced by the Prime Minister, such as paid breastfeeding breaks, stronger protections against discrimination, a ban on pregnancy testing, guaranteed job return after parental leave, shifting the burden of proof onto employers, full protection for contract workers, fast-tracking Industrial Court cases, and removing limits on maternity benefits, may produce the opposite effect without careful consultation and design.

He asked what was the cause of this “sudden knee-jerk reaction. “Is TT experiencing a population decline? If so, what are the underlying causes? Is it that the cost of living has become prohibitive, inflation is relentless, taxes are increasing, childcare is limited, and hospitals are already overstretched in providing maternal and infant care?