Natuc, PSA, TIWU protest frozen wages

SCORES of National Trade Union Centre of TT (Natuc), Public Services Association (PSA) and Transport and Industrial Workers Union (TIWU) members marched through Port of Spain on Monday to protest frozen wages.

Natuc and the PSA president Watson Duke, along with Natuc secretary general Michael Annisette, led a procession of green-clad protesters, chanting, "We want we money, right now... All we money, right now," and: "No money, no vote."

Among the protesters were a number of Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) drivers, who were demonstrating for better wages. In anticipation of their action, the PTSC issued a media release on Monday warning of delays to arrivals and departures.

Annisette addressed the protesters and asked them to return on Thursday to march to the Vehicle Management Company of TT (Vmcott), where TIWU president of PTSC's San Fernando branch Ryan Ramnath will face a PTSC tribunal for publicly raising a number of issues facing workers.

Annisette said, "That is unheard of. That is something that has been condemned by the ILO (International Labour Organisation). There is a fundamental principle that when a representative speaks on behalf of workers, he is equal to any management and therefore any disciplinary matter being perpetrated by the management or the government is in clear violation of the ILO conventions as it relates to the independence of the trade union movement.

"We must never allow any government or any employer to stultify a worker (or) representative's rights to express a view."

Annisette gave Newsday a copy of a letter which he signed and delivered to Minister of Finance Colm Imbert last month. It read: "We are deeply concerned about the effect this inordinate delay in settling these negotiations is having on the livelihood and overall well-being of our members. It is a distressing situation indeed that we have entered a new decade and workers are being asked to survive on 2012/2013 wages and salaries with some workers not having had any increase in their wages/salaries as far back as 2007.

"...The reality is that in almost every area, and particularly with respect to the supply of goods and services, there have been significant increases, adding to the already overburdened shoulders of the workers.

The letters said Natuc had tried over the years to engage the government in meaningful discussions to resolve the situation, but most of its letters to Imbert had not even been acknowledged. It also said all Natuc's efforts at the NTAC (National Tripartite Advisory Council) to raise and address the failure to conclude all outstanding negotiations with government bodies "have been met with a deafening silence and indifference."

It made particular reference to the workers at the Port Authority of TT an agreement that had been reached for 12 per cent increase for August 1, 2014-July 31, 2017.

It claimed that when enquiries were made to the Chief Personnel Officer about the non-implementation of the new wages, the response is "always the same," that "no directive has been given to process the new increases."

Annisette called on Imbert to intervene and settle outstanding wages and salaries. He also asked to meet with the minister on January 16, but said only on that day itself did he get a phone call from the ministry to say Imbert was not able to meet then.