Govt gets ‘fail grade’

JOINT Trade Union Movement (JTUM) leader Ancel Roget has declared Friday September 7,as a national day of “rest and reflection.”

The announcement was made during Labour Day celebrations at Charlie King junction, Fyzabad yesterday.

Addressing thousands of workers who had participated in the annual march from Avocat Junction to Charlie King Junction, he said the labour movement’s duty was not only to engage in collective bargaining for its workers but to ensure equity in society.

“As a progressive labour movement, we see our responsibility go beyond the boundaries of industrial relations and collective bargaining for our members.

“We maintain that ours is a sacred duty to provide a voice for the voiceless and we stand in defence of those who are the most vulnerable in our society,” Roget said.

“So today in the spirit of the Butlerite tradition and in the interest of our country we are declaring, we are declaring Friday September 7, this year a day of rest and reflection.”

“It will be a day to rest and reflect. To say to the Prime Minister and his government that we are not accepting crime and gruesome murders, we are not accepting the sending home of workers, we are not accepting your disrespect for labour,” he said.

Meanwhile, Public Utilities Minister Senator Robert Le Hunte, together with La Brea MP Nicole Olivierre were seen just in front of the platform, seemingly observing the activities.

The huge crowd seemed oblivious of their presence as they had not taken part in the march. However after a few minutes, they left the meeting.

Earlier, using a large blackboard, Roget asked workers whether the ruling PNM administration had passed or failed on six key areas of governance - crime, the economy, labour, health, education and the Prime Minister’s leadership performance.

“Fail” was the workers response to each of the six areas.

Roget said government’s plan was increased unemployment saying state-owned oil company Petrotrin was planning to retrench 2,000 workers with another 200 workers laid off at Trinmar. He said the University of Trinidad and Tobago’s (UTT) was also planning to retrench 287 workers while TTEC was going to sell the Cove power station in Tobago.

“But if he does these things it would be the greatest and fastest political suicide of any party” Roget said.