Sharma is the MP for Fyzabad and Moonilal is the acting labour minister, holding the fort for Errol McLeod, who is attending a labour conference in Geneva.
McLeod, who is a former head of the Oilfield Workers Trade Union, was actually invited to the event. The labour movement said they made an exception with him because of his close connection and long association with labour.
But they did not offer to same courtesy to another government minister, Rudranath Indarsingh, McLeod's junior minister in the labour ministry. Indarsingh also has historic ties with labour, having served as the head of with the All Trinidad General Workers Trade Union until his entry into electoral politics.
Indarsingh declined to attend, saying if his prime minister was not welcome he would not go to the event where he was not invited. Instead he spent Fathers' Day with his family.
But his colleagues wanted to send a message. Sharma told reporters, "This is my home and they are my guests and I have to be here to welcome them".
He added, "After all, this is my constituency and they are always welcome," adding that everyone was welcome to visit his constituency office "to be part of the annual tradition where I as the MP for the area will host the annual luncheon."
Moonilal felt as a citizen, the acting labour minister and a former trade union executive member he had every right to attend, even if no one invited him.
The labour leaders attacked government and said they would encourage workers to stage demonstrations over several weeks and shut down the country in a general strike on a date to be announced.
The labour leaders also ganged up on one of their own - Watson Duke, President of the Public Services Association (PSA) who accepted government's five per cent wage offer along with several incentives for his members.
He has become a pariah since doing that and the trade unions refused to invited him to the event, calling him a traitor to their cause.
Some workers dragged an effigy of Duke through the streets at Charlie King junction. Others laid another effigy of the PSA leader on a truck with "mourners following. They demanded that "Duke must go".
Moonilal felt as a citizen, the acting labour minister and a former trade union executive member he had every right to attend, even if no one invited him.
The labour leaders attacked government and said they would encourage workers to stage demonstrations over several weeks and shut down the country in a general strike on a date to be announced.
The labour leaders also ganged up on one of their own - Watson Duke, President of the Public Services Association (PSA) who accepted government's five per cent wage offer along with several incentives for his members.
He has become a pariah since doing that and the trade unions refused to invited him to the event, calling him a traitor to their cause.
Some workers dragged an effigy of Duke through the streets at Charlie King junction. Others laid another effigy of the PSA leader on a truck with "mourners following. They demanded that "Duke must go".
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