Moonilal condemns government retrenchment of BIR/Custom workers

Opposition MP Dr Roodal Moonilal issued a media statement Friday accusing the government of Trinidad and Tobago of showing contempt for the trade union movement and the workers of Trinidad and Tobago.

Moonilal is upset that the government is proceeding unilaterally to impose a “voluntary” separation of employment plan (VSEP) or forced VSEP (F-VSEP) on over 2,000 workers at the Board of Inland Revenue (BIR) and the Customs and Excise Division.

"The government is doing so without proper consultation with the worker representative organizations in an act of gross violation of the principles of collective bargaining. This approach is also contrary to proper industrial relations principles and can be considered a substantive matter of a trade dispute," Moonilal said.

Moonilal is a labour relations specialist and a former minister of labour. He is currently the opposition spokesman on labour and industrial relations.

He said, "Given the current and projected economic decline, the wave of lays off already facing the job market and projections of increasing unemployment by the Central Bank and business community, it is heartless and callous to send home 2,000 civil servants at this time and place their families in financial hardship."

The Oropouche East MP said it is an arrogant move. He also accused the government of reneging on its promise to provide information to the affected trade unions on the restructuring exercise and the establishment of the Trinidad and Tobago Revenue Authority (TTRA).

"The United National Congress (UNC) reiterates its opposition to the establishment of the proposed TTRA and the retrenchment of over 2,000 workers. This we believe is another attempt by the government to control key areas of the public service to entrench itself and promote party hacks and supporters while sending home the hardworking, meritorious and experienced public officers," Moonilal said.

Moonilal is calling on the government to immediately cease "its unilateral attempt to send home the workers at the BIR and Customs and Excise Division and scrap all plans to establish the TTRA."

He is also demanding that government must enter into proper negotiations with the representative unions to discuss any matter of re-organization and relocation of workers to ensure that "not a single worker is placed on the breadline during these tough economic times".