[UPDATED] PSA president: BACK-PAY PROMISE CAUSING TROUBLE

GREGORY MCBURNIE

Public Services Association (PSA) President Leroy Baptiste says Finance Minister Colm Imbert intended to stir up trouble when he promised back pay to members of public-sector unions which accepted the government’s four per cent wage increase offer.

He was responding to a protest by PSA members in front of the union’s locked headquarters on Friday morning.

Police blocked off Abercromby Street between Park and Oxford Streets, Port of Spain, as protesters called on Baptiste to accept the government’s offer .

During last week’s budget presentation, Imbert resaid public-sector workers who had accepted the government’s offer will receive their back pay by Christmas this year.

One protester said it was unfair that members of other unions would be able to enjoy their back pay at Christmas while PSA members had nothing to look forward to.

They were upset about what they described as Baptiste’s “flawed logic” in arguing that the PSA could get more than the four per cent being offered.

Former PSA general secretary Oral Saunders said Baptiste must recognise the negotiating landscape has changed.

“All the unions started at that position, but when other unions started to sign off – and it is their right to do so – it weakened the PSA’s position.

“We are not happy with the four per cent, but the circumstances have changed in terms of the unions standing strongly with each other.”

The PSA, TTUTA, the Fire Officers Association and Prison Officers Association were referred to a special tribunal of the Industrial Court after negotiations for 2014-2019 broke down.

The other unions have since withdrawn from the tribunal after it offered to negotiate for two-five year periods, which would end in 2023, with the same four per cent increase.

The unions said accepting the four per cent gave them the ability to negotiate further for the period 2020-2022.

Saunders told Newsday the decision to challenge the tribunal’s position in court was unwise, as he believes it will ultimately fail.

Saunders accused Baptiste of locking the membership out of the building and ignoring their views.

“When we arrived, the doors were locked. He knew we were coming, but he chose, instead of meeting with us, to run and hide.”

“The PSA president is not listening to the voice of the people. He is listening to his own voices. He has his own point to prove and it is not in our best interest.

“We believe we should settle and get our back pay and improve the lives of our members, no matter how little.”

This is not the first time members have objected to the union’s stance.

After the other unions withdrew from the tribunal, the PSA held a virtual general council meeting in June and voted to reject the offer.

However, at a protest in July this year, Saunders claimed the rejection was manipulated. He said the virtual voting process was contrary to the union’s constitution, as the voters could not be corroborated because not everyone had their cameras on during the Zoom meeting.

Saunders also claimed Zoom meetings could be manipulated as members could be kicked out by the host.

He called for the return of in-person general council meetings.

In response, Baptiste told Newsday he believed this internal discord was part of Imbert’s plan.

“People are in a state of desperation. He would have thrown that out there to create, like corn amongst pigeons, the kind of stir that is now being created. Once you have somebody to fan the flames, as we have within the PSA, with these political operatives, it will have the desired effect.”

Baptiste said he is canvassing members to determine their opinion on the negotiations.

“Once we obtain the information, it will go to general council and we will take it from there. We will let them know all the places we have visited, what was the general consensus and then we will either reaffirm, amend or change to whatever the position is that this consensus-building would have yielded.”

Baptiste added that the members’ hope of receiving back pay by Christmas, if the union were to accept the offer, was misguided.

“Whatever we sign now, it wouldn’t be for Christmas in any event. That (opportunity) has gone.”

Asked for his response to those who feel they are missing out on Imbert’s Christmas promise, Baptiste said the union’s plans are in their best long-term interest.

“Of course I would like every single one of my members to enjoy Christmas. But I would prefer every single one of them had a better life.”

Baptiste denied claims that he was acting in his own interests and ignoring the membership.

He said the office doors were locked as no one was at work, as staff at the headquarters had been given a day off.

This story was originally published with the title "Public Services Association protests: No back pay for Xmasp" and has been adjusted to include additional details. See original post below.

Police blocked off Abercromby Street between Park and Oxford Streets, Port of Spain, on Friday morning as Public Services Association (PSA) members protested in front of the PSA headquarters.

The protesters called on PSA president Leroy Baptiste to accept the government’s offer of a four per cent wage increase.

Former PSA general secretary Oral Saunders told Newsday they were upset about what he described as Baptiste’s “flawed logic” in arguing that the PSA could get more than the four per cent currently being offered.

During last week’s budget presentation, Finance Minister Colm Imbert revealed that public-sector workers who had accepted the government’s offer will receive their back pay by Christmas this year.

One protester said it was unfair that members of other unions would be able to enjoy their back pay at Christmas while PSA members had nothing to look forward to.