JTUM backs covid19 extension

Ancel Roget - Marvin Hamilton
Ancel Roget - Marvin Hamilton

THE Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) is supporting the Prime Minister’s announcement that regulations implemented to prevent the spread of covid19 in TT will be extended for an additional two weeks.

But, JTUM said Government must ensure that if the population is required to “stay at home” for this additional time, relief measures for those most economically hard hit by pandemic can be expedited and relief reaches those who need it most.

JTUM president Ancel Roget on Sunday said, “We totally support the initiative to flatten the curve.” Roget said JTUM has been advocating that “aggressive testing” take place so a clear picture can be obtained about the impact of covid19 on TT as well as how and when to relax the public health regulations. But Roget remained concerned that economic relief measures announced by the Government were being implemented too slowly and not reaching the people who need it most. Referring to the salary relief grant, Roget said there were many workers who may not be able to access it because they do not have national insurance.

He was concerned that self-employed people, such as masons and carpenters, would not benefit from the grant.

He said there are many workers who live from paycheck to paycheck and cannot put food on the table to feed their families now. He was concerned these people could take a risk “to go out and make a dollar” if nothing is done to help them. Roget also said Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus was premature in her statement about pandemic leave.

On Saturday, Rowley said pandemic leave “was overcome by the stay-at-home leave.”

He hoped this issue would be clarified in due course.

MSJ leader David Abdulah accepted the reasons for the extension. But he felt the testing should have started earlier.

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"JTUM backs covid19 extension"

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