An olive branch from Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar is essentially being slapped away by President of the National Trade Union Centre, Watson Duke.
At a political meeting on Tuesday night, Mrs Persad-Bissessar said that her party “will work with the labour movement.” She added that the labour movement “will no longer see itself as an outsider to leadership in how our nation grows and evolves.” She added that the United National Congress will learn from the past and will do better and needed help from the unions to defeat the PNM in the next general election.
Now with another hand being extended by Mrs Persad-Bissessar comes a firm rejection, at least from one union umbrella body, NATUC.
“We want to say to her thanks but no thanks, thanks but no thanks. We are not joining or supporting any political party,” said NATUC President Watson Duke.
He said Mrs Persad-Bissessar must answer the question about why wage agreements for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016 were not signed during her tenure in government.
“Wheel and come again,” Duke said.
Duke did, however, indicate that every union should speak for itself on this issue. Already Labour leaders Joseph Remy and David Abdulah have rejected the Opposition leader’s call.
When the People’s Partnership was formed in 2010, the labour movement was included under the umbrella of the Movement for Social Justice, however, one year later it later pulled out of the agreement.