Business continues in South, Central

File Photo: High Street, San Fernando 
Photo by Anil Rampersad
File Photo: High Street, San Fernando Photo by Anil Rampersad

BUSINESS in South and Central Trinidad continued as normal as most people appeared to ignore the labour movement’s call to rest and reflect today. Checks by Newsday in San Fernando’s commercial centre on High Street, found the majority of businesses were open and there was a heavy flow of consumers during the day.

Stores, food courts and banks, as well as government agencies such as TSTT and were all seen having regular flows of people visiting them to do business. One vendor said he could not be bothered with the antics of the trade unions. “Nobody is taking them on. People have things to do,” he said.

One store owner said she empathised with people who lost their jobs, but she could not afford to close her business for a day. In some malls, there were kiosks which were closed. One kiosk operator said, “Things are hard all around. We just do what we can.”

Efforts to contact San Fernando Business Association president Daphne Bartlett were unsuccessful. The High Street branch of her Bartlett Drugs pharmacy was closed. On Wednesday, Bartlett said the association had not taken a collective decision to support the day of rest and reflection. She said this was left to the discretion of individual businesses.

Chaguanas Chamber of Commerce president Vishnu Charran said there was a lot of business activity in Chaguanas. He also said no government services in Chaguanas were affected either. But Charran said there was a low turnout of students in schools in the Chaguanas area.

According to Charran, this could be related to teachers not reporting for work at those school. Couva/Pt Lisas Chamber of Commerce president Ramchand Rajbal Maraj said businesses were open in the area.

While he had no information about how many employees came to work at these businesses, Maraj said the number of consumers going to business places in Couva/Pt Lisas was lower than normal yesterday.

He said traffic flow in the area was less than normal. Maraj also said activity in schools in Couva/Pt Lisas was low yesterday.

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"Business continues in South, Central"

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