The current Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr Keith Rowley has once again found himself under public attack for statements that sounded anti-worker.
The glaring headline proclaimed, “PM knocks lazy public servants” (T&T Express, August 21, 2019).
The article attributed the following words to Dr Rowley, “Many of them produce absolutely nothing when the day comes, collect a salary at the end of the month and make the most noise when pay is late.”
This, of course, led to a swift response from the trade union movement and political opportunists. Subsequently, Dr Rowley issued an emphatic denial on his Facebook page stating that he never used the word lazy or described all public servants as lazy, “I never used the word lazy nor did I accuse all public servants nor did I accuse the Public Service of being lazy.” (T&T Guardian August 23, 2019).
The position of Dr Rowley with respect to the work ethic of public servants and the anger at his observations are similar to his position on the former workers of Petrotrin and the subsequent outcry. Ancil Roget, the President-General of the Oilfield Workers Trade Union accused Dr Rowley of having anti-union sentiments with respect to the closure of Petrotrin. “Roget said the decision of the Prime Minister to shut down the Pointe-a-Pierre Refinery and send workers home was a reprisal against the Oilfield Workers Trade Union. He said the whole business of shutting down Petrotrin was to get rid of the OWTU” (T&T Whistleblower, October 1, 2018).
The People’s National Movement (PNM) has a somewhat unique history in Caribbean politics. As Caribbean countries moved towards self-rule or independence from Britain, the political impetus came mostly from labour-based political movements.
The list of leaders that served as first premiers/prime ministers makes for interesting reading: John Compton (United Workers’ Party-St. Lucia), Eric Gairy (Grenada United Labour Party), Errol Barrow (Democratic Labour Party-Barbados), Alexander Bustamante (Jamaican Labour Party-Jamaica), Vere Bird (Antigua Labour Party), Milton Cato (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Labour Party), Robert Bradshaw (Saint Kitts, Nevis, Anguilla Labour Party) and Edward Oliver Le Blanc (Dominica Labour Party).
While these political parties were perceived as labour parties, the PNM was founded as a national party with nationalist ideals. As a party largely supported by people of African descent, it was hardly surprising that the PNM garnered strong support from trade unions dominated by people of African descent.
However, the PNM has never pretended to be a labour party and throughout its history, has continued to style itself as a national party not supportive of any specific sector of society. Therefore, the willingness of Dr Rowley to confront the trade union movement when he perceives that they are not working in the best interests of T&T is hardly surprising.
It is commendable that Dr Rowley can find the political courage with an impending general election, to confront the issue of trade unionism and the duty of workers to be productive and supportive of the performance goals of employers. If Watson Duke would have the Public Service Association conduct a poll on the performance and productivity of public servants, it is likely that he would obtain findings that are the common perceptions of the citizenry.
Based on colloquial and anecdotal evidence, the majority of citizens are frustrated by the service level of public servants. Regarding Petrotrin, the apathy of the public to the plight of Petrotrin’s workers was mainly due to the views of the public that the wounds of the workers were largely self-inflicted.
In a functioning democracy, trade unions are critical players as the economic burden is often carried on the backs of ordinary workers. However, it is paramount that trade unions understand that with the rights enjoyed by workers come responsibilities to employers.
Vitriolic rhetoric and bellicose posturing undermine the credibility of trade unions. Performance and productivity must be the daily creed of workers. Days of rest and reflection are an anathema to the development of a proper functioning society. Dr Rowley’s criticisms of the level of service provided by public servants may be sanctimoniously denounced by some but he is speaking an uncomfortable truth uttered by most members of the public having to avail themselves of services delivered by public servants. The Bible verse aplies: “Physician Heal Thyself” (Luke 4:23).
Professor Rajendra Ramlogan, Commercial and Environment Law, The University of the West Indies. The views expressed are entirely his own.