PRIME Minister Dr Keith Rowley has denied accusing public servants of being lazy.
In a Facebook post he said, “I never used the word lazy nor did I accuse all public servants nor did I accuse the Public Service of being lazy.
He said, “I spoke specifically about the use of GPS on the motorcycles which should allow the MANAGERS to be able to account for the whereabouts of their officers.
“I also spoke of the use of a diary in earlier times to allow worker productivity and whereabouts to be monitored and that this resulted in more public service by officers on the payroll.
“Clearly this was a discourse about whereabouts and not necessarily about laziness. This seems to have escaped the mental grasp of many who jump on what they want and that is a manufactured controversy.”
He said the media were over reporting on the issue.
Rowley said, “Incidentally, since I never used the word ‘lazy’ it is wrong for the Guardian to piggyback on an Express sensationalism by using reported speech in the Guardian editorial when the word was never used. I wonder if the Guardian even bothered to listen to the speech or just simply copied an issue from the Express.”
Speaking on Wednesday at the handing over of 200 motorcycles from the Chinese government at the St James Barracks, Rowley said, “Many of them (public servants) produce absolutely nothing when the day comes, collect a salary at the end of the month and make most noise when pay is late.”
President of the Public Service Watson Duke also slammed Rowley for his comments.
Duke said, “It worries all 80,000 public servants of this country. It hurts us to the core. It says that the mother, that good worker who leaves south at 4 am to come to Port of Spain for an 8 o’ clock job, that leaves work at 5-6 to get home, that your efforts are not recognised,”
