A tone-deaf decision by Rowley

THE EDITOR: Prime Minister Rowley’s decision to accept the recommendations of the Salary Review Commission (SRC), giving him and his colleagues a significant salary increase, comes at a time when the citizens of TT are suffering, can’t put food on the table, and being faced with other economic hardships.

Public servants, unions, and the average worker are pleading for wage adjustments that can deal with the escalating cost of living. Families are struggling to cope with rising food prices, businesses are shutting down, and the nation is breaking under the weight of economic pressure.

With all this happening, the acceptance of a substantial salary increase by the Prime Minister is not only bad timing, but reveals a prime minister who is profoundly tone-deaf. It sends a frightening message that the struggles of the average citizen are secondary to the gratification of those in power.

Showing more compassion than the PM, Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s decision to refuse the salary increase, realising that now is not the time to flaunt getting "big money" from the public purse, is more in line with what the average person wants.

This genuinely aligns more closely with the frustrations and sacrifices that people are facing daily.

The optics of this decision by the Prime Minister suggest a flagrant disregard to what citizens want at this time. The people are well aware that leadership requires difficult choices, and this decision reflects a lack of caring and understanding of the plight of the people in the street.

The government has been asking the people to hold on in the light of austerity measures and to make sacrifices for the greater good. Yet when the time comes for Dr Rowley to do the same, his decision is glaringly unsympathetic to our society.

The Prime Minister and his administration must remember that the general election is around the corner and people will show their displeasure with their fingers. Accepting a salary increase amidst extensive suffering signals not just crass heartlessness by the government, but also a disconnection from the realities faced by citizens.

This decision is a flagrant failure to hear the people’s voices and hopefully this will wake up voters to realise that Rowley and his administration do not care about them.

We see on the other hand where the Opposition Leader is a much more caring person and can restore some faith in leadership during these trying times.

Failure after failure, selfishness and lack of sympathy for the plight of citizens are all we see from this government. All the PNM has done is deepen the divide and reinforced the perception of a government that is out of touch with the very people it claims to represent.

DR NEIL GOSINE

UNC treasurer