$20 minimum wage

Watson Duke’s priorities as a prime minister include closure to all outstanding public sector negotiations, an increase in the minimum wage to $20 an hour and a focus on making Tobago a service hub.

The Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP) leader said his first order of business would be to settle all outstanding negotiations. He said this move will boost the economy.

"Workers are the ones who turn the wheels of capital. So, you have to treat workers in a particular way across the board, the Government workers in particular," he said in a Newsday interview.

Duke, president of the Public Services Association, used a National Trade Union Centre rally in Port of Spain on Friday to push his political agenda, declaring the PDP will win the next general election.

"There may be about 80,000 public servants in this country. When you treat them well, they are going to go back to their homes. They are going to spend that money, engage in domestic consumption. It is going to boost the economy."

Duke said the debt must be paid to workers. He also said the minimum wage will be increased from $15 to $20 an hour.

"The minimum wage cannot be at loggerheads with old age pension. The minimum wage is $2,400 a month while the old age pension of old age grant is about $3,500. That is a $1,100 difference. So, now it has to be balanced. Bringing the minimum wage to $3,500 a month, that will be done within the first year. It is not unreasonable."

Duke said he also intends to address the perennial problem of bad and undeveloped roads throughout the country.

"For a place where there is asphalt and good aggregate, there are too many bad roads where people are living. We are going to ensure that these big companies, who are being encouraged by the government to pave road over road is no more."

He said he also will establish an efficiently run road development programme.

"We are going to put people to work and let productivity begin in that area of life. Not paving the same roads six and seven times."

Regarding Tobago, Duke said there will be a focus on making the island a service hub, where the productivity will be measured. He said workers will undergo hospitality training and be subjected to an appraisal system.

"By instituting those things, persons will know where they are failing and how they can improve."

Duke said he also plans to implement a comprehensive home rehabilitation exercise in Tobago. He claimed about 75 per cent of the houses on the island are unfinished.

"We are going to put to rest what I call unbroken dreams. There are many broken dreams in Tobago. As you drive around the island, you see houses that are unfinished, with red bricks, a leaking roof, no window, due to people not having enough."

Duke said CEPEP and URP workers will be used to rehabilitate the homes as part of their duties. He said the homeowners also must satisfy a needs test before any work is undertaken.

"Tobagonians take pride in where they live and I think that will be money well spent."

Duke made it clear they would not be building houses but fixing and completing those that have been abandoned for lengthy periods.

"We need to make people feel comfortable again and take ownership of pride in themselves and Tobago again."