Sabga responds to Roget's call for "one percent" boycott

Chairman

“What we’re going to do is continue to manage this 136-year-old business well, continue to celebrate the great work our 6,000 plus employees are doing and continue to manage and grow our assets and we’ll do what we know best. That’s what we’re going to do going forward,” Sabga said.

This was his response to Roget’s call asked by a reporter at a press conference on Thursday to discuss ANSA McAL’s results for the six months ended June 30. The conference was held at the TATIL Building on Maraval Road in Port of Spain.

Sabga’s comments came days after the American Chamber of Commerce (Amcham) condemned Roget’s call as divisive, unfortunate and counter productive.

In a statement issued on August 7, Amcham called on the trade unions to return to the Tripartite Council and said that economic and social decay has been the result in every country where a minority has been persecuted, in an attempt to shift power or influence to another group.

The business group also said that Roget’s call was not in the interest of the very workers that the unions are supposed to represent.

“We acknowledge that trade unions have a very important part to play in protecting and promoting the rights and best interests of their members.

“This can only be done through dialogue leading to constructive solutions.

“In that regard, we too would like to see a return to multi party dialogue in a manner that allows all stakeholders to participate in a meaningful and constructive way.”

Amcham added that the National Tripartite Advisory Council (NTAC) was that vehicle but said it is not functioning as intended.

“The world is in the midst of an economic crisis, with new political and social disruptions occurring almost daily and that at this time, the country needs leaders including those from within the trade union movement, who are willing to look past all differences and seek solutions to the challenges faced by the country.

“We believe that this is not the time for pointing fingers, but instead a time of increased collaboration and dialogue. Myopic viewpoints and unreasonable demands that seek to promote specific agendas rather that finding innovative solutions should not be the first course of action,” Amcham stated.