More than half of THA monthly-paid employees on contract

Over 3,500 monthly paid workers are currently employed with the Tobago House of Assembly (THA), with more than half of them employed on contract.

This was revealed by Chief Secretary Kelvin Charles, responding to a question by Minority Leader Watson Duke at last Thursday’s THA plenary at the Assembly Chamber, Jerningham Street, Scarborough.

Duke, in a question for oral answer, asked the Chief Secretary to provide total number of monthly paid workers in the THA - how many were on contract and how many were public servants.

Charles replied: “In respect of monthly paid employees who are employed on contracts… the figure stands at 1,739 and in respect of those appointed by way of the Public Service Commission (public servants), the number stands at 1,819.”

In another question, Duke wanted to know why US Air Force planes and Black Hawk helicopters were in Tobago in April, if there were any benefits for the island, and whether there was any connection between the presence of the US aircraft and the presence of the Russian intelligence gathering vessel, the Viktor Leonov, presence in TT waters. In response, Charles said the plans and helicopters were in Tobago as part of a Fused Response exercise.

“Exercise Fused Response is an annual routine exercise that has been sponsored by the United States Government via the United States Southern Command since 2012. Similar exercises have been hosted over the years in the region by countries such as Guyana, Belize, Honduras and Guatemala. This exercise was being funded by the United States Government with minimal cost to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. The Trinidad and Tobago Government was certainly appreciative of this show of partnership by the United States Government considering our country’s current economic constraint,” he said.

Charles said Fused Response ewas a crisis response training exercise designed to enhance the ability of Governments of Trinidad and Tobago and the United States to plan, coordinate and rapidly respond to a crisis with regional security implications.

“It was therefore a learning opportunity for both countries. The exercise, additionally, was designed to build capacity and strengthen the crisis response capabilities and readiness of both countries’ national security agencies. It was also an opportunity for Trinidad and Tobago to exercise Government response to a crisis, test our emergency response plans, validate our processes and identify any possible gaps.”

Charles said the capacity build an the experiences gained from the exercise would also benefit TT’s CARICOM neighbours who have partnered with and sought national security assistance in the past.

“With Trinidad and Tobago having the lead responsibility for lead matters in CARICOM, it is important that we always stand ready to serve our CARICOM neighbours,” he said.

The Fused Response exercise took place from April 16-22 in both Trinidad and in Tobago, with United States military troops arriving on the island beforehand to prepare for the event.

“Approximately 270 military personnel were involved in this exercise alongside our Trinidad and Tobago National Security agencies. Areas that witnessed the presence of troops for the exercise were in Trinidad, the Piarco International Airport, Cumuto, Couva and Macqueripe and the ANR Robinson International airport and areas within such vicinity in Tobago,” Charles said.

He stressed that Fused Response was a simulation exercise, designed to be as realistic as possible to ensure and to allow TT’s security agencies to gage their readiness capabilities.

“The scenarios were entirely fictitious and had no relation to any real threat nor situation in Trinidad and Tobago,” Charles said, adding that the exercise was designed for minimum disruptions to the general public.

On whether the exercise was connected to the presence of the Viktor Leonov in TT waters, he said neither the TT nor US Governments had indicated that this was so.