Kamla: Firings, govt’s Christmas gift

Kamla Persad-Bissessar
Kamla Persad-Bissessar

GOVERNMENT’S Christmas gift to the nation was the sending home of employees from TSTT, says Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

She was contributing to debate in the House on Wednesday on a motion to vest some of the assets of Petrotrin in three other companies.

She said Government has accused the Opposition of “fearmongering” when speaking about the Petrotrin closure. “I want to warn the population. I’m not fearmongering. Don’t believe a word from them.” She recalled a couple weeks ago, Public Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte said no one would lose their jobs at TSTT.

She then read from a letter to Clyde Elder, secretary general of the Communications Workers Union on TSTT’s letterhead dated November 12, which referenced a meeting of October 26, between the company and the union relative to the company’s new business model in accordance with the provisions of Articles 3 and 13 respectively of the subsisting collective agreements.

The letter contained the job descriptions representing new and modified jobs and the list of proposed positions to be made redundant, consequent to the implementation of the new structure. It was signed by TSTT Senior Manager Industrial Relations Arlene Arthur.

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Finance Minister Colm Imbert stood on standing order 48:1 (relevance) and said it was not a debate about TSTT but he was overruled by Deputy Speaker Esmond Forde. “I am talking about loss of jobs! I don’t believe what they say nobody is going to lose their jobs and then we get a list of jobs to be made redundant,” Persad-Bissessar said.

She said 99 positions were listed here to be made redundant and stressed this is not 99 people but about 100 positions.

“I understand they have about 2,000 workers. Is it a case of all, all, all? We don’t know.” She said about 40 to 50 per cent of these people will become jobless just before Christmas. “That is the Christmas gift given to the workers of this country.”

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"Kamla: Firings, govt’s Christmas gift"

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