Duke signs new wage agreement as other unions march

Watson Duke - PSA President

As members of the joint trade union movement marched in Port of Spain Friday the leader of the Public Services Association (PSA) signed an agreement with the Trinidad and Tobago Civil Aviation Authority (TTCAA) for a five per cent wage increase.

The signing took place at the Ministry of Transport at Nicholas Tower, Port of Spain as workers marched outside.

PSA President Watson Duke has been criticised by other unions for signing on earlier this year to a five per cent wage increase for public servants along with other special benefits. He has insisted that he got the best deal for his membership but unions say he sold out to the government.

Commenting on the deal he signed Friday Duke said there is a better way to address the issue than making a lot of noise.

"It is paradoxical that we are in here in accord and signing an agreement and outside there is discord and disagreement," he said.

Duke said union leaders should spend more time thinking and less time acting and urged his union colleagues to put the interest of their members ahead of private agendas.

He said several members of those unions that were marching came to him saying they want to settle but the union leaders are not listening. He said when he marched with PSA members earlier in the year he was fighting for something better for his membership and he got it.

"We got houses, we got medical plans," he said. "I am happy that the People's Partnership is here and they have made serious attempts to settle the differences with our workers and they continue to do so." 

Jennifer Baptiste-Primus, Duke's predecessor at the PSA, condemned Duke, calling him an embarrassment to the trade union movement.

"When a trade union leader can come out and forcefully be the expressionist for the Government you know that union is in serious trouble," she said.

Baptiste-Primus was a staunch supporter of the PNM administration and did not find anything wrong with her support for the Manning government.

She campaigned for the PNM is the last general election and is a member of the party's executive, holding the post of Labour Relations Officer.