Duke offers ultimatum to union leaders: Join with us or else

President of the National Trade Union Centre (NATUC) Watson Duke offered fellow trade unionists an ultimatum to join with him for a demonstration in Port of Spain on March 13 or be left behind.

Duke made the remarks at the end of a demonstration on Monday, where he led scores of members from other unions through the streets of downtown Port of Spain, calling for the payment of outstanding money owed to government workers.

He renewed his call for fair treatment from the government, particularly the Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Finance Minister Colm Imbert to honour promises made to public servants.

At the end of the march outside Central Bank on the Brian Lara Promenade, Duke called on trade union leaders Ancel Roget, Michael Prentice, James Lambert, Michael Annissette, Gideon Dickson, Ceron Richards and others to put aside their differences and come out and join him for the union's next demonstration.

"The 16 (of March) is a good time for our next demonstration because we need time to encourage the other unions to come out and if they don't come, well then fire bun them. I personally will draw the sword with all of them and you will never find me associating with them again.

"Some of them too damn deceitful, they don't like you, so they don't come out to support, well let them rock so. We stand for everybody so if we accept a poor deal well then it's alyuh a-- dark."

Referring to a sign outside the Central Bank about putting people first, Duke accused the government of lying to the people as he felt workers were still being taken for granted.

During the demonstration, Duke treated followers to a brief concert at the promenade, as a Carnival-like atmosphere fell over the protest.