Young congratulates unions that accepted 5% increases

PRIME Minister Stuart Young publicly congratulated several trade unions that had recently accepted five per cent wage hikes in line with what the country could afford, speaking at a PNM rally at Sangre Grande on April 24.

Watching on was PNM political leader Dr Keith Rowley, sitting in the first row. One seat away was former opposition MP for Chaguanas West, Dinesh Rambally.

Young said the 10-14 per cent being sought by some unions would bankrupt TT.

He said Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar had carefully avoiding committing the UNC to awarding any 10-14 per cent increase but with UNC documents merely referring to "fair wages" and committing to a bargaining process through the chief personnel officer (CPO).

Noting the government's salary-increase offer of four per cent for 2014-2019, Young said unions representing the police, defence force and teachers had accepted this and their members had got their back-pay and higher salaries "because they know what the country could afford."

Young congratulated unions that had recently settled at five per cent salary increases for 2020-2023, namely the TT Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA), the Amalgamated Workers Union and the Contractor and General Workers Trade Union. He said he had very quietly met the latter to alert them to the nonsense they were being told.

He said the government had listened to the Nurses Association and had instructed the CPO so the regional health authorities could begin a conversation with the nurses.

"BIGWU, another union we met quietly, today signed with FCB which makes hundreds of millions of dollars. They signed at 5.5 per cent."

"That showed what the government was offering was fair.

"Don't let a few people living high on the hog in the leadership of these unions with house and car suppress your vote and intimidate you."

Young urged workers to vote PNM in Monday's general election.

He said he was very happy the pilots association, TTALPA, had just signed a deal with CAL to accept a four per cent wage hike.

Urging listeners not to be misled, he related that in 2024 or 2015 OWTU leader Ancel Roget had been up and down with mannequins representing Persad-Bissessar, with whom he is now in an electoral alliance, the UNC Coalition of Interests.

Young remarked that the opposition was outspending the PNM in the election campaign by a factor of five-to-one to ten-to-one.

"Ask yourself, where is the money coming from?" He suggested it came from financiers trying to avoid jail.

Young said, "Anyone willing to sell TT for $1 should be kept far from Whitehall, the Red House and the Treasury!" He vowed to always fight for TT.

Earlier, Young alleged an array of dirty tricks in the election campaign by the opposition.

"In the last week I have received numerous text messages, numerous reports from people around TT – as far south as Moruga, from La Horquetta/Talparo, right here in (Sangre) Grande, in St Joseph, in San Fernando West and other constituencies." He said he got a call as chairman of the National Security Council and he had weighed hard on how to talk about it to the population.

"It is something we know as intimidation and voter suppression. These are criminal offences."

He accused the opposition of "ill events, gangsterism and thug-like behaviour."

He said,"Tonight I am fighting for your right to vote for whom you want to vote for come Monday morning."

Young showed a video clip of two women (with a man) in UNC jerseys persuading an elderly woman in a red jersey to put on a yellow UNC jersey.

"Look at the type of voter intimidation happening right here in Grande."

He said the elderly woman was one Miss Bernice from Damarie Hill and said one of the women was a well-know "character" paid by the UNC.