Caption: Kamla Persad-Bissessar
By Alicia Chamely
EMPLOYEES of the National Insurance Board of Trinidad and Tobago (NIBTT) will be receiving their salary adjustments and arrears owed to them from the 2014-2016 bargaining period.
This announcement came during Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s statement at the sitting of the Lower House on Friday at Red House, Port of Spain.
Persad-Bissessar said her government had instructed NIBTT to implement the salary adjustments and pay the arrears owed to employees as agreed upon during their 2014-2016 negotiating period.
She said the payment of these adjustments and arrears, which had been agreed upon in 2019, had been obstructed by the former People’s National Movement, in a move that said was both “immoral” and “illegal.”
Persad-Bissessar said, “Mr Speaker, despite the unambiguous and binding nature of that Agreement, the former PNM administration deliberately blocked the NIBTT from honouring its obligations to workers.”
“They placed political interference above the law, sacrificed justice on the altar of expediency, and in the process robbed thousands of citizens of their rightful salary adjustments and arrears,” she added.
She said her government’s decision to honour the bargaining agreement was in line with their campaign promise and the fulfilment of their Workers’ Agenda.
Persad-Bissessar said, “Today, my government has acted decisively to correct this grave injustice and to restore what was denied for far too long. In doing so, we are reinstating the dignity of workers, reaffirming their humanity, and upholding the rule of law as the bedrock of our democracy.”
She added, “This action is not only about back pay and arrears. It is about honouring lawful agreements, defending fundamental rights, and proving that in a just democracy, no citizen is ever beneath the protection of the law or beyond the reach of fairness.”
Persad-Bissessar said, “This decision reflects my government’s philosophy of inclusive and collaborative governance and our unwavering commitment to advancing the dignity and well-being of workers in every sector. It marks the beginning of a new era of governance, one in which workers will never again be bargaining chips or collateral damage in political games but respected as partners in national development.”
Acknowledging the Public Services Association (PSA) and the employees of NIBTT, she commended them for their “resilience, and their steadfast faith that justice would prevail.”
Persad-Bissessar said the payment of the NIBTT workers was not an isolated incident but was “the first step in a comprehensive programme to address and settle outstanding negotiations across the public service and state sector.”
“We made a promise to the people, and today, we prove once again that promises made are promises kept,” she added.
Responding to the Prime Minister’s announcement the PSA, in a press release, called the decision “a victory for the hardworking employees of the NIB” and praised the government for fulfilling the overdue settlement.
