NTA, COP open to talks with JTUM on election alliance

NATIONAL Transformation Alliance (NTA) political leader Gary Griffith says the NTA is open to a conversation with the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) about forming a national-front alliance against the PNM for next year's general election.

Congress of the People (COP) interim political leader Kirt Sinnette expressed a similar sentiment to JTUM's call for an alliance.

At a Labour Day rally at Charlie King Junction in Fyzabad, JTUM president Ancel Roget announced plans by the majority of JTUM members to speak with political parties opposed to the PNM, including the Opposition UNC.

“In the coming weeks, with the exception of TTUTA (TT Unified Teachers Association) and any other paid political trade unions, with the exception of them, we in the trade-union movement have agreed to meet all opposing forces and all political parties, including the UNC.”

At May Day celebrations in San Fernando, TTUTA president Martin Lum Kin said while the union has several issues it is addressing with the Education Ministry on behalf of teachers, it has never aligned itself with any political party.

In a WhatsApp response sent to Newsday on June 20, Griffith said, "Remember the name of our party is the NTA. Our focus is on transformation, transforming TT. It seems that every single organisation, body, political party loves to use that word now and also the word 'alliance."

He added that the NTA is not interested in cosmetic alliances or marriages of convenience with anyone.

"That is why we had things that did not work in 1986 and 2010. This alliance must be one where we must have the same principles, mutual respect and going into a government understanding the importance of us respecting each other's party. So we will always be willing to work and have dialogue with any other political party that has the same principles, ideologies as the NTA."

Griffith's references to 1986 and 2010 were related to two unsuccessful political coalitions,the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) and the People's Partnership (PP) respectively.

While both coalitions won significant general-election victories over the PNM in 1986 and 2010 (33-3 and 29-12), instability and infighting in the NAR and PP led to their subsequent defeats to the PNM in the 1991 and 2015 general elections. Both coalitions disintegrated after their electoral defeats.

In a separate WhatsApp message, Sinette said, "COP will have discussions with all parties, unions that have the country's best interests at heart."

He added that before entering politics, he was a member of the Communications Workers Union (CWU)

"My heart is very close to (trade) unionism."

Former People's Partnership (PP) labour minister Errol McLeod and former TTUTA president Trevor Oliver were non-commital in their comments about Roget's call for a national-front alliance.

McLeod, also a former Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) president-general and former Pointe-a-Pierre MP, said, "I don't have an opinion on it at this time."

Roget is the current OWTU president-general.

OIiver said, "I don't want to give an opinion at this time. I do have some strong ideas, but I don't want to divulge them at this time."