(Trinidad Express) Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley came in for heavy criticism over salary increases as hundreds gathered at the Queen’s Park Savannah, opposite Whitehall, in Port of Spain yesterday.
Whitehall is the office of the Prime Minister.
Trade union members, politicians and some concerned citizens heeded the call by the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) to come out and stand with the unions and show their dissatisfaction with the Government.
While the chief grievance on the lips of many union members and politicians in attendance was Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley’s acceptance of the salary hike proposed by the Salaries Review Commission (SRC), others lamented that the magnitude of issues facing the country should have drawn a larger crowd.
Still others hoped that the numbers would translate into votes and the eventual ousting of the People’s National Movement (PNM) from office.
While some came with microphones and bullhorns, others came armed with placards with some reading “Jail Imbert now”, “Peaceful protest for change”, “Transparency for our children’s education”, “Stop piping out Trinidad and Tobago assets”, and “Too much murders”.
Last Friday while staging a protest in the rain outside the Prime Minister’s residence in St Ann’s, JTUM president Ancel Roget had called on all unions under its umbrella to stand as one and show their dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister, and what Roget called a slap in the face following Cabinet’s decision to accept the SRC’s 120th Report which recommended salary increases for the PM, President, Opposition Leader, judges and other officials.
Prior to that, T&TEC workers’ under JTUM and port workers under NATUC’s umbrella had teamed up in a protest and candlelight vigil that started at the Dock Road in Port of Spain.
Two days ago, the Public Services Association (PSA) also announced that they would join the march for justice.
The event attracted several members of the Opposition, among them Wade Mark, David Lee, Rushton Paray and Dinesh Rambally.
Speaking to the media at the event, several union members said the climate was ripe for the labour movement to unite for common causes affecting workers.
Leader of the Movement for Social Justice David Abdulah, however, noted that he was the first to call for trade unions to come together. He said he first made that call in September last year, and later repeated it in a media release at the end of October.
“At my press conference on November 17, two days after the SRC Report was laid in Parliament, I said that now is the time for action, and I called on the trade unions to organise this,” Abdulah said. He added that he was happy that a firm stance was taken.
He said that working class citizens were angry that Rowley had given himself a massive increase, “while others had a 4 per cent forced down their throats.” His claims of unfair treatment by the Government were echoed by secretary general of the Communication Workers Union (CWU) Joanne Ogreer, who lamented that workers alone were compelled to take a 4% burden of adjustment.
UNC senator Mark said it was inevitable for people to react to the call by JTUM and come out in support.
He said the mass of the population believed that they were being crushed by the economic misdirection and elitist economic policy of the Government. “It has made the rich richer and the poor, poorer. So, I think the poor had a duty to come out; and I have to come out in their defence for justice for the majority,” he said.
Mayaro MP Paray described the day as historic, with people coming together despite their ethnic, religious and geographic differences.
He said people came together because they wanted to see good governance.
“That good governance equates to the fact that you cannot have elected leaders taking lucrative salary hikes when the majority of the population have outstanding salaries and wages (due them). The majority of these lower-income earners are marginal, and if they are not marginal, they are below the poverty line; so that is what this is about.” Paray said.
Asked if he expected the showing of hundreds at the march to be translated into votes, Opposition Chief Whip Lee said he hoped so, “Let me put it this way: any other party would be better than what is currently taking place right now in the country, and the people are crying out for change in government.”
He said that the UNC was the only party that could bring that change, and stressed that under the leadership of Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who had taken office in 2010 under similar economic circumstances, there was growth during her tenure.
Also present, National Transformation Alliance (NTA) leader Gary Griffith said he, too, welcomed the invitation to come to the march since he saw it as a way for the different political factions and organisations to bridge differences and seek to come together on a common cause.