By Sue-Ann Wayow
OPPOSITION Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is calling on the labour movement to send a significant message to government and vote them out of their strongholds in the upcoming Local Government Election (LGE).
Persad-Bissessar in extending Labour Day greetings to the trade union movement and the working force said currently workers were toiling under the most oppressive and brutal conditions ever witnessed since the 1930s.
With Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley heading the Government, “never before have workers faced such a concerted and calculated assault and vicious attacks by the worst anti-worker, anti-Labour, anti-trade union and anti-people government as under this vicious and wicked Rowley-led regime,” she said.
Added to this, citizens were faced with rising crime levels, high unemployment and a lack of opportunities, as well as a cost of living crisis.
Persad-Bissessar said, “On the occasion of Labour Day 2023, coming weeks before the Local Government elections, I call on the Labour Movement and all working people to stand firm and send an unmistakable and unequivocal message to this oppressive and vicious Rowley-led PNM regime by retrenching them on August 14 in all 14 corporations.”
Reminding citizens of the 133 collective agreements valued at close to $6 billion, settled under her administration, Persad-Bissessar said it was painful to witness public sector workers being “forced” to accept four per cent salary increases only because the other option available was the prospect of having collective agreements for five years and more being imposed on them by the Special Tribunal.
She said Government knew how to apply the law in an oppressive manner and do not rule for the benefit of the people.
“This provision in the law is harsh and oppressive and must be changed to reflect the norms of the industrial relations practice of three-year agreements,” Persad-Bissessar said.
She is promising that should she and her party return to Government, they shall review the laws in relation to essential services to ensure that only the truly essential services are placed in that category, consistent with the conventions and recommendations of the International Labour Organization (ILO) as Government was moving to broaden the scope of essential services to include the oil and gas sector.
Promises are also being made to have an independent collective bargaining process.
Persad-Bissessar said there has also been a proliferation of contract employment throughout the public sector with over 16,000 contract workers in the Civil Service equivalent to its permanent cadre of some 16,000 or less.
“The regime is now seeking to privatise and contract the services of workers employed in the Board of Inland Revenue and the Customs and Excise Division. The UNC does not support this move and shall reverse it when we return to office,” she said.
The Opposition Leader also mentioned that since the Paria-LMCS tragedy occurred in February 2022 in which four men died, the government has shown little interest in strengthening Health and Safety regulations.
And she again called on the Dr Rowley that upon the completion of the report of the Commission of Enquiry (CoE), to lay its report in Parliament.
