THE Prime Minister has encouraged workers to approach the future with optimism, even if life is different in a post-pandemic world.

In a statement in recognition of Labour Day, Dr Rowley said the government only views the future with optimism.

'Some labour leaders, feeling insecure, see only possible corrosive effects, and talk in extreme terms,' he said.

Labour Day is celebrated on June 19 in recognition of the Butler Oilfield Riots of 1937.

'We understand that thousands of citizens, both labour and capital, have been affected, and we have introduced and maintain comprehensive relief measures, across the nation, particularly for the elderly and disadvantaged.'

The statement said there are worldwide discussions on the future of work and the term 'labour' is being redefined. 'When we, here, look at the horizon, the covid19 pandemic has taken labour to another dimension, which means the future is upon us.'

It said many people have lost income, businesses have closed, and the healthcare system is stretched.

'Even as work-at-home has become the norm, there is frustration and fatigue. We now anticipate a post-pandemic world in which our lives, labour and capital are expected to be re-shaped, some say in an accelerated form, much speedier than before.'

It said there is a new world where both capital and labour will have to look at new models of work in the digital and artificial intelligence realms.

'We all know that the people of this country can be amazingly resilient, resourceful and innovative, even in the face of challenges.'

Rowley also acknowledged oil worker Tubal Uriah 'Buzz' Butler, the Grenadian immigrant who mobilised protests against unjust working conditions in the foreign-own oilfields in the 1930s alongside others including Captain Arthur Andrew Cipriani and Adrian Cola Rienzi.

Butler, he said, played a major role in the development of the labour union movement and was considered as the leader of the first registered trade union in the country, the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU).

Butler was awarded the Trinity Cross, the nation's highest honour.

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