Roget: Cabinet reshuffle will not improve governance

President general of the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union Ancel Roget says he finds it strange that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar will wait for the week of Labour Day celebrations to reveal her Cabinet reconfiguration.

However, despite the reshuffle, Roget said, “No reconfiguration will change the poor state of governance that T&T is experiencing at the hands of the UNC-led People’s Partnership.” In an interview yesterday, Roget said the T&T economy was continuing to contract because Government had been unable to deal with issues of labour, crime and good governance.

“This Cabinet reshuffle will have absolutely no impact, because they have the wrong concept, of having a top-down approach. Once the cabal remains we will see no improvement in governance. Once they disrespect labour instead of placing us at the centre of development, we will see no improvement and no industrial peace,” Roget said.

Asked whether he believed Jack Warner should be removed as Works and Infrastructure Minister, Roget said, “Warner should not even be in government. “We will have more to say on Jack Warner later but only in a country like ours you can see a person like Warner acting as Prime Minister. This Government has no standard, they lack standards. And the same goes for Gypsy (Winston Peters). He should not even be in government,” Roget said.

With regards to Labour Day celebrations, Roget said he was uncertain whether Labour Minister Errol McLeod would be present. However, he said Government Senator David Abdulah, who is also general secretary of the OWTU, would be there.
“All trade unions will be doing their mobilisation and we expect a mammoth turnout,” Roget said. He said the theme of the celebration was: Workers’ Action will Save the Nation.

Meanwhile, Labour Minister Mc Leod who is in Geneva, said he has not decided whether to attend the Labour Day celebrations. “When I get home, then I will decide,” McLeod said.