Hinds: Mix-up delayed backpay for PTSC workers

Works and Transport Minister Fitzgerald Hinds yesterday gave a commitment to pay the employees of the Public Transport Service Corporation (PTSC) their backpay.

He said the matter was now in the hands of the Chief Personnel Officer (COP) since management of PTSC had made an error with backpay calculations, which was now being addressed.

Last Friday, PTSC employees upstaged a slew of government ministers, including Hinds, who had gathered to launch the government’s WiFi on PTSC’s bus service at the City Gate hub, Port-of-Spain, demanding that they be paid monies owed to them.

Hinds said having met with representatives of the Public Service Association (PSA) and the Transport and Industrial Workers Union following the protest, all matters were raised and addressed by him. 

“As far I am aware we all left there satisfied with the discussions that we shared.”

On that basis, Hinds said he could not understand why the media were now posing questions to him with regards to when the employees would receive their backpay.

“In any event, the issue of backpay for PTSC workers has gone before the CPO. Because the management of PTSC would be able to truthfully say there were some issues around the calculation of the amount of the backpay, and as well, issues around who have already been paid their backpay.”

Hinds said those matters were now being sorted out. Yesterday, PSA’s branch chairman Darryl Lamy said 300 of PTSC’s workers were owed $34 million.

Lamy said if the employees were not paid soon, they would seek advice from PSA’s president Watson Duke who will decide their next course of action.