Unions plan ‘big’ protest Friday

The joint trade union movement is mobilising workers for what is expected to be a massive protest on Friday to continue the fight for better salaries and outstanding negotiations. The unions’ representatives are expected to host a press conference this morning at 10 am at the Communications Workers’ Union Hall, Henry Street, Port-of-Spain, said president general of the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union, Ancel Roget.

He said the state of emergency was a failure and the alleged plot to assassinate the Prime Minister and three Cabinet Ministers was a public relations stunt. In an interview yesterday, Roget said he maintained the state of emergency, which was declared 107 days ago by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, was to prevent trade unions from campaigning for just salaries and decent wage settlements.

The state of emergency officially ended at midnight yesterday. Roget said the only people who believed the state of emergency was a success was Persad-Bissessar, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan and several members of “the cabal.” He added: “The state of emergency has failed, and failed miserably.”

Roget said the alleged plot was merely a distraction from the failure of the state of emergency. He said on Friday workers would meet at the Brian Lara Promenade, Independence Square, Port-of-Spain, at 9 am to continue their protests for better salaries and poor governance. He said negotiations for Petrotrin, T&T Electricity Commission, National Petroleum and Trinidad Cement Ltd and other companies still needed to be resolved. 

“We will continue to have our street marches, meetings and will intensify our campaign,” he said.Meanwhile, president general of the Banking, Insurance and General Workers’ Union Vincent Cabrera said: “We intend to resume activities and make use of our civil rights.”