COUVA SOUTH MP Rudranath Indarsingh is calling on chief executive officer (CEO) of the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) Davlin Thomas to explain why he failed to comply with a ruling of the Industrial Court.
Earlier this week Industrial Court judges Herbert Soverall, Laurence Achong, Michelle Austin and Vincent Cabrera fined the NCRHA $20,000 for contempt of court after it failed to reinstate senior manager Adesh Deonarine to his post following a consent order parties entered into in March last year. The NCRHA conceded that it had no defence.
The court fined the NCHRA a further $10,000 and ordered it to pay Deonarine $100,000 after he was suspended on administrative leave with basic pay for 21 months.
In a release on Friday, Indarsingh said, “It is obvious that the NCRHA showed flagrant disregard for the Court, and thus they were fined for non-adherence to the ruling.
“This non-adherence to the ruling of the Court is part of a growing disrespect and disregard by the state for the institutions of the country, with the Industrial Court being a critical institution.
“The NCRHA’s failure to comply with the court’s ruling in the case of Mr Deonarine sets a harrowing stage for the NCRHA and other state agencies to choose to disregard the rulings of the Industrial Court and to victimise employees who have been given justice by the court.”
The MP said following the collapse of the former Police Service Commission and the unorthodox withdrawal of the merit list for police commissioner, this matter shows wanton disrespect against the state by the People’s National Movement (PNM) administration.
Indarsingh said, “NCRHA Chief Executive Officer, Davlin Thomas, needs to explain to Mr Deonarine and to all NCRHA employees why the authority, under his watch, failed to comply accordingly with a ruling of the Industrial Court.”
He said, “One must ask why Terrence Deyalsingh- Minister of Health and the Board of Directors of the NCHRA, collectively failed to respect and implement the ruling of the Industrial Court of Trinidad and Tobago, which is a superior court of record within our the judicial system.
“We cannot continue to live in a society in which the institutions of the society set an order, and where political hacks in public office disregard those institutions and their order to fulfil their narrow political agendas.
The Government of Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Cabinet continues to display gross contempt and a flagrant disregard for the rule of law, independent institutions and the constitution.”
