“[…] No, no—WASA should not and cannot be privatised! There are some entities which are what you call in economics, natural monopolies. For an economy like Trinidad and Tobago, the production of water is a natural monopoly and the state should do it. “[…] We are going to give WASA …
Read More »‘The numbers don’t add up’: Dr Farrell on Covid, costs, challenges and consequences
“[…] Non-energy revenues have fallen in 2020-2021 and for next fiscal, 2021-2022, it is going to be worse—partly because people pay taxes on the previous year’s numbers and partly because the recovery is going to be slower than expected because of the state of emergency and the impact of the …
Read More »MJS: ‘Stupid bordering on wicked’ for employers to bully or victimise non-vaccinated workers
“[…] It is also a false premise by employers to believe that vaccinated workers pose no risk to others, be they co-workers or the customers. The fact is that a vaccinated person, while less likely, can still get Covid. “They can also transmit it to others, though again they are …
Read More »CEPEP: We reduced workers’ salaries by 33.3% to ensure there’s no job loss
“[…] This decision [to reduce salaries by 33.3%], while contentious, directly protects the welfare of workers as that is the Company’s main priority at this time. This measure will ensure that there is no job loss at CEPEP…” The following press statement on CEPEP’s decision to reduce the salary of …
Read More »Union: How is Royal Castle providing food without workers? Fast-food chain gets 24 hours to explain
“[…] If in fact [Royal Castle] has proceeded with procuring alternative means to provide its food to the public while bypassing its workers and their union, these would constitute serious breaches of the collective agreement and violations of the law. “These could include illegally outsourcing or subcontracting labour, failing to …
Read More »Dear Editor: Raising retirement age punitive to workers
“[…] The argument of the bankruptcy of NIS is empty fearmongering to justify their call for decreased liability to meet their workers’ NIS. The fact is NIB money is a pad for government programmes and a bed of questionable projects by NIPDEC. “[…] Many workers stay in the workplace for …
Read More »Dear Editor: Who cares about domestic workers? Certainly not our governments
“[…] In Trinidad and Tobago, domestic workers include: housekeepers, cooks, cleaners, ironers, gardeners, handymen, watchmen, in private homes. They are hired by companies for their CEOs and others who are in high management positions to provide personal and household duties. Estimates indicate that there are 10,000 domestic workers in T&T. …
Read More »Dear Editor: Imbert sees unions in disarray, now he’s going for the jugular of the working class
“[…] The media cites Minister of Finance Colm Imbert as saying that public sector trade unions won’t be able to meet with the government around the bargaining table because of the state of the economy. No time frame is given. “This immediately affects those public sector workers who are near …
Read More »NWU: WASA workforce to be reduced by 50% in 2021, thousands will lose jobs
“[…] There is a projected decrease on personnel expenditure from the 2020 figure to the 2021 figure of $377,504,500. Personnel expenditure, therefore, is being slashed in half. “WASA employs approximately 5,100 permanent, temporary and so-called contract workers. If personnel expenditure is to be reduced by 50%, it is only logical …
Read More »Dear Editor: Indiscipline begins at the top, PM shouldn’t ‘pick on’ public servants
“[…] The late Gordon Draper, MP for Port of Spain North/St Ann’s West was given leave of absence for almost an entire Parliamentary term to pursue private business. MP Maxie Cuffie fell ill early in his Parliamentary term, was hospitalised for much of it, and suffered no loss of income. …
Read More »NWU: Lock up employers who don’t pay NIS! DPP urged to investigate ‘criminality by employers’
“[…] Within recent times, several of the retrenched workers from The Myerson Company Limited have approached our Union for advice and representation. “In the process, they raised with us some concerns over their contributions to NIS—only to discover that no contributions were remitted to NIB for parts of 2018, none …
Read More »NWU: Class struggle is exploding and unrest is coming; workers must pick a side
“[…] Public sector workers, including health care workers, teachers and public servants, have not had a wage increase since 2013. They have not even had the full retroactive payments due to them and owed to them for more than six years. “The widespread use of the contract system has turned …
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