Tobago Minority leader and Public Service Association (PSA) President Watson Duke capitalised on the National Trade Union Centre’s (NATUC) protest on Friday and used the opportunity to campaign to some 300 workers.
Speaking to the protesters on the Brian Lara Promenade after they marched through the streets of Port-of-Spain, Duke said he was the change the people of Trinidad and Tobago needed.
“We saying things bad and we vote in UNC, and things will still be bad. We say things bad, we vote back PNM and things will still be bad. What we need is a change of play. Watson Duke is a change of play.”
One of the strongest points of contention for workers has been unpaid salaries and the Government’s failure to provide increases.
Many public servants have not seen an increase since 2013. The Government since coming into office in 2015 has faced an economic decline which was beginning to turn around according to the Minister of Finance.
But addressing this issue Duke promised that once his political party, the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP), is elected into power with him at its helm it would be resolved.
“We are not taking any one per cent, no three per cent or five per cent from this government...we will wait until the seat of power is changed and when we control the money bag, and I say it with certainty...when we control the money bag, we will release it and the people would live a better life.”
Duke’s party has its stronghold in Tobago and he intends to contest the two Tobago seats in the 2020 general election and negotiate with political parties in Trinidad.
Some 300 workers turned out in the nation’s capital to protest a number of issues, including protracted delays in settling outstanding salary negotiations. There was a large turnout of daily-rated workers, public servants, employees of WASA, T&TEC, the Port-of-Spain City Corporation and other municipal bodies, in solidarity with the National Trade Union Centre (NATUC) which organised the demonstration. Duke, the president of NATUC, and Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) president Ancel Roget were among the labour leaders at the front of the march.
Marchers congregated at the Brian Lara Promenade and left around 10.30 am. The demonstrators headed up Henry Street, across Oxford Street, down Pembroke Street, across Park Street and finally, down Frederick Street before gathering for the rally on the Promenade, between Chacon and Abercromby Streets.
Vehicular traffic was almost slowed to a halt as the procession made its way to the streets. This added to the near gridlock traffic already in the capital after an underground power line exploded at the Hall of Justice.
Many of the protesters cooled off from the blistering heat with beers and alcohol as they made their way through the streets, dancing to music blaring from a truck which led the rally.
Some even had packed coolers awaiting their return on the Promenade.
When the rally had ended, officials from the unions cleaned up the water bottles, beer bottles, cups, cigarette butts and placards left behind by the protesters.