The main challenge facing the trade union movement in the Caribbean, and which can be largely remedied through education, is that of leadership development. Competent trade union leadership is a necessity if the regional movement is to be effective in meeting the challenges of a rapidly changing socio-economic and political environment. This does not negate the need for wider membership training, but recognises that leadership is the catalyst for oganisational development.

This is not symptomatic of all trade unions in the region. Indeed, within some national centres, one or two unions are carrying the other affiliates. This situation cannot persist if there is to be growth and development within the regional movement; for with a crisis in leadership, the movement will be unable to deal competently with the emerging challenges.

A cadre of knowledgeable and skilled leaders must be developed to deal with these challenges. Such persons must be educated on a whole range of issues and concerns which impact on the lives of workers.

Trade liberalisation and the manifestations of globalisation, and the integration of industrialised economies into formidable economic and political groupings, are the issues which need to be dealt with. These must be of concern, since they can adversely affect aid and trading relationships between developing and developed countries. This can spell disaster for workers and the trade union movement.

The IMF/World Bank and other international financial institutions, particularly their policies and practices of Stabilisation and Structural Adjustment Programmes, are also issues of concern for workers’ education in the Caribbean. This must be so, since these policies result in burdensome taxation, and increased unemployment and poverty.

Rapid developments in new technology have heightened interaction among countries. As a consequence, large and more developed states are superimposing their values on those of small states’ – the phenomenon of "cultural penetration". A further consequence is that new ways of organising production and deploying labour are being explored and pursued. New and foreign techniques are creeping into "local" industrial relations practices. These developments make it imperative that they be at the centre of workers’ education in the Caribbean.

Education however should not be undertaken merely to sensitise the leadership. Though sensitisation is important, workers’ education should also be concerned with developing skills.

A reality of stabilisation and structural adjustment programmes in many Caribbean territories has been that the social partners recognise that economic well-being and social harmony can only be achieved through working in meaningful partnership. As such, a role for workers’ education in the Caribbean is to assist the leadership in developing skills which are critical in making such partnerships work. Such skills would include negotiating protocols, and conflict resolution.

With such challenges as trade liberalisation, globalisation, trading blocs, IMF/World Bank structures and rapid developments in new technology, Caribbean workers’ education institutions must be responsible for developing skills. In particular, skills to deal with the new issues in industrial relations, such as productivity bargaining and other aspects of contingent compensation. Skills must also be developed in the use of new technology. The computer must be seen as an effective tool for international networking. Furthermore, with most of the new job creation being in information and other new technologies, workers’ education in the Caribbean must be responsible for preparing workers to fill these jobs.

Workers’ education in the Caribbean therefore must focus on sensitising the leadership and wider membership regarding current issues and challenges, as well as develop the necessary skills to tackle effectively those issues and challenges. The regional trade union movement also recognises that given the scope of the issues and for its education programme to be effective, its regional efforts must be complemented through working in collaboration with international fraternal organisations.