Ex-THA member: 'Too damn long to get things done in Tobago'

FORMER THA assemblyman Gerry MacFarlane has strongly criticised Tobago’s work ethic, saying it takes too long to get basic things done on the island.

He was speaking on Tuesday during the open forum at a stakeholder consultation on inter-island transportation and connectivity at Mt Irvine Bay Resort.

MacFarlane, a businessman, raised the issue as he reflected on Chief Secretary Farley Augustine’s plan to make Tobago the “greatest little island on the planet.”

He said in order for this to be achieved, the THA must address the island’s terrible work ethic.

“You have to look at the public service and those people in the private sector who provide service in Tobago. There are some basic things that you cannot get done on this island which Tobago people have the power to do and we are not doing it,” he said. “It takes so damn long to get things done in this place. It’s a sin, like it’s a curse sometimes. And people get paid to do that, and still...”

MacFarlane said only a few employees in the THA and private sector take their work seriously.

“Too few people work so hard and dedicate themselves to change this place, and they not doing it. And there are too many people who don’t care one bit. They just want to take their time, no work, and get paid when the month or fortnight come.”

He claimed a secretary in a particular division got a petition from about 200 people saying that working two hours a day and getting a whole day’s pay was like slavery.

“These people working for less than two hours, you’re pressuring them to work at least two more hours than the half an hour or 30 minutes that they work, and they send a petition to the THA to approach their office. And they say two hours' work and getting pay is 'slavery.'

“How are we going to talk seriously about improving this 'greatest little island on the planet' and looking at this great picture of sustainability on this island, when so many people have such poor and worthless work ethic?”

MacFarlane said the poor work ethic was across the board.

“I eh talking about daily-paid people alone, chief. There are public servants, monthly-paid people, who are as bad in this place.”

He said the THA must do some serious introspection if it wants to make Tobago the greatest little island on the planet.

Augustine thanked MacFarlane for raising the issue.

“It is really painful to see that this is what we are trying to build out and people are making more demands of government, central government.

"But we have to make those demands of ourselves, most importantly, and we sometimes do ourselves a disservice with the work ethic we put out.”

He said a bad attitude towards work often led to the late payment of salaries to workers and service providers.

Augustine told the audience about a teacher who he claimed is living in poverty. He said the teacher has not been upgraded for 23 years.

“Every time she go to the division (Education, Research and Technology), file lost. Somebody telling her, 'I am not speaking to you today.' Put her sit down for the whole day and nobody eh talk to the woman.”

Augustine said he met the woman at a store on Monday trying to get a window for a room in which her daughter was studying.

“Water coming in and she try everything, all kinds of flexi-steel to keep the water out. But the window would not hold and the water still coming in.”

He said the company where she bought the original windows had stopped selling them on hire purchase.

“But she is begging the company to give her the window on terms. This is a teacher who is impoverished because of somebody work ethic.

"And so, for the Tobagonians listening, you are not exerting some power over anybody, really. Is really your own people you are suffering (sic) and doing a disservice to.”