By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE only way that Government will be able to afford a better salary for public servants is to cut employment.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said on Thursday, “All those who are demanding more and more from less and less, public servants, if a Government comes into office, offer and give you more than the country could afford, the only way that could be managed is to cut employment in the public service. That is the only way.”
This, he said, as he spoke at a People’s National Movement (PNM) political meeting at Hillview College in Tunapuna.
Mentioning the matter taken to the Privy Council by the Public Services Association (PSA), Dr Rowley said while the Opposition focused on “the collapse of the economy,” his government was hard at work with attempts to improve the economic situation by the many measures taken.
This included not going to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The PSA has instructed its attorneys to file an emergency appeal to the Privy Council over the dismissal of an injunction seeking to delay the planned implementation of the T&T Revenue Authority (TTRA).
The PSA has not accepted the Government’s offer of a four percent wage increase, unlike other unions including the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) and the Prison Officers Association (POA).
Dr Rowley said, “We this PNM Government in the most difficult of times, we had faith in our country, we had faith in our people, even when our draft reached 98 per cent, we had faith that we were taking the best option available and ladies and gentlemen the election is taking place and they can’t come out and talk about the economy because we have made significant progress.”
He said, “We stood up, fought the virus (Covid-19), managed our country, manage disdain, manage undermining and at the end of it all, we are one of those countries, that came out better than many.”
Dr Rowley maintained that even in an economic struggle, no public servant was fired and all were paid on time every month.
Dr Rowley told supporters, “The People’s National Movement Government of Trinidad and Tobago is satisfying the needs of the wider population of Trinidad and Tobago.”
It was not by accident that his political opponents were focused on issues “they think are national concerns,” including that of the economy Dr Rowley said which was doing better than most.
The overdraft was now under 50% which gives the government borrowing room he said.
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The Prime Minister spent some time talking about how his Government dealt with the Covid-19 pandemic, fluctuating oil and gas prices, contracts with international companies and agreements formed to improve agriculture with CARICOM.
To Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar he said, “If you don’t know what is happening, drink your rum and go back to bed.”
Dr Rowley also said, “People who never managed a fowl coop, never manage a parlour, can’t manage their own life, disgraceful in their own conduct, offering themselves to run the country and you telling me about you going to vote for them because you tired of the PNM?”
“The PNM is what stood between you and disaster and stand between you and them,” he declared.
