By Chantalé Fletcher
THE Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) is calling for an immediate investigation into the payment of more than $2 million and a monthly pension of $56,000 to now Minister of Digital Transformation Senator Hassel Bacchus after his resignation from Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago limited (TSTT).
Secretary General of CWU Clyde Elder made this call in a Facebook live on Friday.
The union claimed that the preferential treatment was given to secure his appointment from a former TSTT employee to a Government post. Bacchus was chief technology and information officer at TSTT before he was appointed to the Senate and then his current post of minster of digital transformation.
However, TSTT in a release on Friday stated that the allegations made by the CWU were patently false.
Elder said “Anyone who has worked in a company, deserves payment for their service and should be given what they deserve, no matter who they are.”
He said after several reductions in payout and concerns from the Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley about questions raised in the public, Bacchus decided to resign from TSTT with an exception.
Elder alleged that this exception came on the instruction of Dr Rowley with approval by the board of TSTT.
He said if a person resigned from employment, he was not entitled to payments for service unless their contract stated otherwise.
Elder read an excerpt from what he said was Bacchus’s contract clause stating, “The company may at any time at its absolute discretion whether or not any notice of termination has been given under clause 21.1 above, to terminate this element with immediate effect and make a payment in liew of notice.
“This payment shall be comprised of the basic salary for a minimum of one year and shall include any bonus incentives payment or any government bonus came in existence at the time of termination, less any amounts you owe the company.
“Should you be in position of a vehicle lease by the company for your use, the company shall purchase the vehicle at the cost provided by the lease company and transfer full ownership to you.”
He said, “If he agreed to resign, then on what basis would any other considerations be given to him?”
Elder added that the trustees of the pension plan received a letter from TSTT on advice to increase the amount payable to Bacchus.
The secretary general said, “A meeting with the board of directors of TSTT in 2020 facilitated the request for early enhanced retirement made in writing for Hassel but must follow in the TELCO pension plan in order to enhance his retirement benefits.”
He said the meeting raised two options – an immediate full pension, as if he was 60 years with no reductions, and $56,000 plus per month or $42,000 per month with lumpsum of just over $2million.
Elder called on the Central Bank and BIR to say whether this payment was approved.
He asked, “Is it that only the PM approved this just to ensure that Hassel came into office in his government?”
Elder said, “We have pensioners dying, on a regular basis, whose pensions are $500, $1,000, $1,200 a month and they suffering to live, but we have one man, and one man alone getting a monthly pension because of preferential treatment $56,000 per month after getting $2 million in hand.
“This money Senator Bacchus received was only from the pension, and not the money that TSTT paid for his services, but when combined our figures indicate that he got over $5million.”
He said TSTT was suffering and penalising the pensioners, paying them a pittance.
Elder added, “Give them the 15% increase and the 1.5% interest in which was agreed.”
He said, “As of March 2018, the TELCO pension plan surplus was $777 million and TSTT pension plan surplus $148 million which combined was close to $.9 billion, this was enough money in there, so the pensioners deserve what is rightfully theirs.”
Elder made several calls for actions.
“I call on PM to come clean about Senator Bacchus’s appointment and what was done to procurement his services with the government.”
“I want TSTT to say if the Chairman Shawn Roach and the CEO knew and if the board approved preferential treatment for Senator Bacchus, and if it did happen then I call on the government to fire the board and Lisa immediately.”
TSTT responded in a release on Friday.
It stated, “TSTT treats all employee and HR-related matters in the strictest confidence and therefore will not disclose any details of a former employee’s contractual arrangements inclusive of pension benefits, irrespective of the individual’s position or tenure.
“However, TSTT wishes to state categorically that save for the transfer of a vehicle, no ex-gratia payment was made to Senator Hassel Bacchus on his departure from the organisation.
“TSTT can also confirm that the process used to determine Senator Bacchus’ pension benefits, after 31 years of service, was in full compliance with the provisions of the Trust Deed and Rules of the requisite pension plan.
“The calculation and payment of pension benefits were administered by the independent Trustees of the Pension Plan and as such no payments were made directly by the Company, nor was the Company involved in the computation.
“Any speculation questioning the integrity of the process is simply unfounded.”
