Representatives of 15 trade unions in Trinidad and Tobago visited the Prime Minister's office Monday to deliver a letter to Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, expressing disappointment over a lack of progress in settling matters raised last month with Persad-Bissessar.
Their letter calls on the Government to "find the finances" to meet their wage demands and avoid further aggravating the current industrial relations climate.
The suggestion came from Ancel Roget, president of Oilfields Workers Trade Union (OWTU), which is one of the member of the informal labour coalition.
Their letter calls on the Government to "find the finances" to meet their wage demands and avoid further aggravating the current industrial relations climate.
The suggestion came from Ancel Roget, president of Oilfields Workers Trade Union (OWTU), which is one of the member of the informal labour coalition.
He said, "If it means that you should run a higher deficit or if it means you have to borrow money, if it means you should find the finances from wherever, you ought to find the finances."
Roget claimed that Finance Minister Winston Dookeran has his economics wrong and suggested that workers are the ones who could jumpstart economic growth in the country. Dookeran disagrees.
The union leaders also called on the business community to pay up their share of the $13 billion in tax arrears, so that money could be used to improve the "inflexible" five per cent offer to public servants.
Roget acknowledged that the People's Partnership government was not responsible for the current economic situation. However, he said they the government has the "supreme responsibility to navigate the country out of this morass".
He said in his view "the position taken by the Government thus far on the industrial relations climate in the country, resembles very much the position taken by Patrick Manning's administration."
Roget claimed that Finance Minister Winston Dookeran has his economics wrong and suggested that workers are the ones who could jumpstart economic growth in the country. Dookeran disagrees.
The union leaders also called on the business community to pay up their share of the $13 billion in tax arrears, so that money could be used to improve the "inflexible" five per cent offer to public servants.
Roget acknowledged that the People's Partnership government was not responsible for the current economic situation. However, he said they the government has the "supreme responsibility to navigate the country out of this morass".
He said in his view "the position taken by the Government thus far on the industrial relations climate in the country, resembles very much the position taken by Patrick Manning's administration."
Roget said the labour movement did not accept a rigid negotiation approach from the former administration and they would not accept it now. "Let that be a word to the wise," he added.
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