Roget to President: 'Renew Thomas-Felix's Industrial Court contract'

THE JOINT Union Movement (JTUM) is calling on President Christine Kangaloo to "reconsider her decision" not to seek the renewal of Industrial Court president Deborah Thomas-Felix's contract.

The group says it heard of the decision from a "reliable source."

Such a decision has not been officially disclosed.

A decision to appoint or renew the contract of the president of the court is taken after Cabinet recommendations are sent to the President, who consults with the Chief Justice before making a decision.

JTUM, led by Ancil Roget, issued a statement on Tuesday asking Kangaloo "to provide the country with the basis of her decision."

It said, "Her Honour (Thomas-Felix) is presently out of the jurisdiction and was only informed one day before the expiration of her contract," and alleged a "fundamental breach of good industrial principles and practices."

"(It was) very disrespectful to the office of the president of the Industrial Court, the officeholder, and the Industrial Court as a whole.

"The manner in which this decision was made and implemented, especially with such an important office, raises very serious concerns."

It said Thomas-Felix had served over the last 12 years "with fairness and without bias. Notwithstanding that the trade union movement was not always pleased with some of the judgments by the president, we did have respect for her wealth of knowledge and experience, and therefore, the court has gained the confidence of workers as an institution of fairness."

JTUM said it had also recognised an increased level of efficiency at the court, particularly dealing with the backlog of cases.

In its statement JTUM shared an extensive list of Thomas Felix's achievements, dating back to 1990, when she became the youngest person in TT to become a magistrate after practising as an attorney.