“[…] This development raises once again the need for constitutional reform to put the necessary mechanisms in place to prevent issues like these from raising their heads and creating doubt in the minds of ordinary citizens about whether decisions being made are really honourable. “Surely, recommendations for your own salary …
Read More »Dear Editor: PNM will lose moral authority—and elections—if it implements SRC recommendations
“[…] The Cabinet has adopted the same arguments advanced by trade unionists in support of their claims for hefty increases in the remuneration packages of their members. “The SRC surveyed the local, regional and international environment and discovered that the remuneration packages of those under its purview were wholly inadequate …
Read More »Noble: ‘Greed and selfish living result in social instability’—T&T needs more financial transparency
The autocratic nature of our politics is most memorably captured in the sordid 1962 episode featuring Dr Patrick Solomon, minister of Home Affairs in the People’s National Movement (PNM) government—with responsibility for the police service. His stepson was arrested and incarcerated for throwing missiles in a public space. Solomon allegedly …
Read More »Dear Editor: Industrial Court’s estate police ruling is blow for social justice
The Industrial Court Special Tribunal delivered a judgment on 18 February 2022, and ruled that it would be too expensive for the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) to pay any increased salaries at this time. As such, the workers T&TEC were not awarded any salary increases for the period …
Read More »Dear Editor: 1% ordering what they can’t eat by weakening Industrial Court
“[…] What do the employers and the one percent want? The objective is to maximise their profits by minimising their labour costs; by demoralising their workforce through retrenchment, wage suppression and the cutting back of hard-won benefits. “[…] Ninety percent or more of the matters that are decided in the Industrial …
Read More »Dear editor: Gobar! How will raising minimum wage cause inflation, when it’s already here?!
“The Minister of Tourism, Randall Mitchell, has said that increasing the minimum wage will cause inflation… This is a ton load of gobar. “We are presently suffering from the highest inflation rate since the turn of the century. Is it caused by increasing the money supply? Or is it because …
Read More »Noble: How the neo-liberal myth of ‘Me, Myself and I’ poisoned T&T society
Our teachers’ day of ‘rest and reflection’ is entirely unsurprising. It is the natural outcome of events that began in the 1980s. The chickens have come home to roost. But even now, we, the society, are unprepared to confront the significant issues. We are stuck at “we want we money now”! …
Read More »Kangalee: Why Private Security Industry Bill will cement exploitation of workers—and why you should care
“[…] One year later, the 1995 minimum wage order removed the provisions for sick leave, vacation leave and the provision of uniforms that the 1994 order contained [for security workers]. “[…] Due to this removal, security companies are denying their employees the benefits of sick leave and vacation leave that …
Read More »Kangalee: Claim that workers can sacrifice wage increases for job security is a ‘Nansi story’!
“[…] During the Petrotrin shutdown saga, the OWTU actually offered to take a 15% wage cut in order to save jobs. The result? All, all, all workers were sent home. “The Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) settled with TSTT for 5% over a five-year period 2014–2019. How many jobs were saved? …
Read More »Mottley: Rethinking confrontation; the pitfalls of the government and public sector’s existing relations
“[…] For many decades, T&T’s highly productive energy sector funded disproportionately high standards of living in its non-energy sectors, including the public service. However, production in the energy sector has been in decline since 2010, masked temporarily by extraordinary recent increases in energy prices. “[…] In such difficult circumstances, governments …
Read More »Noble: Harden children bound to feel—the story of Trinidad and Tobago
A ‘harden’ child is a stubborn child who has to feel the wrath– usually in the form of ‘licks’–to understand the lesson. Trinidad is a ‘harden’ child—repeating its experiences without learning from them. When the country is splintered and only the rich can survive, you are looking for trouble. You …
Read More »St Louis: Industrial Court’s T&TEC judgement is a huge body blow for social justice
The Industrial Court delivered a judgement on 18 February 2022 and ruled that it would be too expensive for T&TEC to pay any increased salaries at this time. As such the workers at the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) were not awarded any salary increases for the period 2015 …
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