My unfortunate experience at a State enterprise

THE EDITOR: Dr Terrence Farrell is a respected, experienced and qualified professional in TT.

I can sympathise with his decision to resign from a body set up by the Government of the day.

I had the unfortunate experience of being appointed the CEO of a State enterprise after a long and successful career in the private sector.

I was naive to think the people in government enterprises and in the public service are ready and willing to change from their attitude to work.

The objective was that nothing should be completed on time and within budget. Mangers and senior employees kept dragging their feet in completing their projects and normal work schedules. Attendance to the office was regularly late and they also left early. In many instances incomplete or just irrelevant reports were submitted.

I have had to deal with inexperienced directors who stuck their noses in the daily operation of the company. Their contribution was always long, winding and irrelevant. They thought that being a director meant they are required to act like executive directors. They met with subordinate staff and sometimes tried to instruct them on how to conduct their work.

The minister always interfered in the affairs of the company. Making decisions to benefit one of the party financiers. On one occasion a minister called me in a meeting with my line minister and instructed me to allow workers to have breakfast on the job and to re-employ workers who had retired.

The unions were always interested in the pay and benefits of the company but not in the productivity and performance of the daily-paid workers. Workers were working two hours a day but getting paid for a 7.5-hour day.

In addition these workers were paid 30 hours (one plus three days) on a public holiday for working 2.5 hours. I questioned this clause in the industrial agreement but was given a BS answer by the HR professionals in the ministry.

Trinidadians and Tobagonians need a serious adjustment in their attitude to work.

HERAMAN RAMRATTAN via e-mail