Caption: Faris Al-Rawi
By Alicia Chamely
THE Opposition is calling on the Government to provide financial support for the terminated workers of the Community Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) and the National Reforestation and Watershed Rehabilitation Programme (NRWRP).
They are also stated that is their “understanding” that 11,000 Urban Relief Programme (URP) workers are next to be axed.
People’s National Movement (PNM) Public Relations Officer Faris Al-Rawi made the statements on Wednesday at an Opposition press conference held at the Office of Opposition Leader, Charles Street, Port of Spain.
To date just under 20,000 workers have been let go from various government agencies.
On July 2, at a press conference at Balisier House, Al-Rawi broke down the number of workers that had been let go since the United National Congress took office.
The breakdown of terminations and there agencies are as follows: 10,700 CEPEP workers, 4,608 forestry workers, 140 change agents in the Rural Development Ministry, 400 workers at the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), 700 workers being Covid employees from the RHA (regional health authority), another 900 from another RHA, ten executive managers at WASA, the governor of the Central Bank, ten at the Attorney General’s Office, and 2,341 interns at the Housing Development Corporation (HDC).
At Wednesday’s press conference Al-Rawi said, “We call upon the government to give financial support to dismissed workers. We are in the middle of the school vacation, booklists have to be bought, we have uniforms to be handled.”
Al-Rawi said he was disappointed that the prime minister failed to address the concerns of the terminated workers at the UNC’s Monday night forum.
He said, “Twenty thousand people have lost their jobs, not a word was spared for these workers, by the government at the Monday night forum. I genuinely thought that those were the important national issues that Mrs Persad-Bissessar wanted in self-described ‘Mother of the Nation’ to talk to people about.”
The senator noted that at no time in Trinidad and Tobago’s history, have we had a situation where close to 20,000 people have been left jobless.
Al-Rawi continued, “We understand the 5,000 URP workers are next.”
“Where are CEPEP workers going to be employed?” he asked, adding, “Where is the psychological management of the trauma our brothers and sisters are feeling?”
Responding to statements made about Al-Rawi’s socio-economic background by government ministers, he said, “Listen to me, I want to warn the UNC and people like David Nahkid and others, you could reflect upon my personal circumstances as much as you want it will never change my advocacy as it has always been for people in this country.”
Referring to Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath as the “Little Butcher”, he said there was a terrible sense among people that despite being qualified for their jobs, they would be marked as being PNM affiliated and either lose them or not get them at all.
Chiming in on the recent job losses, PNM Chief Whip Marvin Gonzales chided the unions, who he said were “conveniently silent” on the issue.
Gonzales also confirmed the PNM had resubmitted an injunction for the non-termination of CEPEP contracts. He confirmed the request for an injunction against CEPEP was filed over the weekend and was to be heard in court on Wednesday afternoon.
Al-Rawi, Gonzales and PNM Vice Chairman Amery Browne held the press conference to discuss the ongoing matter of job terminations, the Water and Sewerage Authority and Persad-Bissessar’s absence at the CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting.
Al-Rawi also called on the government to provide data on marijuana and alcohol utilisation and what the legal consequences will be for those found using both substances under the age limit.
