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  • 1 year ago

Why so silent? It's the question being posed by the Opposition UNC to the Cabinet, with no announcement yet from the latter, as to whether the recommendations of the Salaries Review Commission will be accepted. Once implemented, over 100 million dollars in backpay will be paid out to public officials.
Transcript
00:00Should the recommendations of the 120th SRC report be accepted, over $100 million in back pay will be paid out to public officials.
00:10Among the recommendations are an increase in the monthly salary for the Prime Minister from just under $60,000 to $87,847.
00:21Members of cabinet who currently receive a salary of just over $41,000 are set to receive an increase to just over $52,000.
00:31But according to the UNC, they should all get reductions.
00:36Why is the government so silent on the Salary Reduce Commission report?
00:40You see, as I told you, the population has already determined what the performance appraisal is of this government.
00:50And the population has determined that the government deserves no pay raise.
00:55Instead, the population has determined that the government owes the population money.
01:03They deserve a reduction in their salaries.
01:07And with an election around the corner and trade unions protesting for betterment for their members,
01:13the opposition is pronouncing that the government is caught between a rock and a hard place.
01:18It is really the most opportune time that they will look for to call the general election.
01:24But they are also mindful that right now there is no opportune time.
01:29Because regardless of what happens today or tomorrow, things are going to get worse and worse and worse.
01:34And the population is not going to forget them, particularly workers in this country.
01:38But as public officials, members of the opposition will also benefit from the proposed increases.
01:45The opposition leader, whose current salary is $29,590 per month, is looking at an increase to just over $52,000.
01:55I'm seeing where people are saying, where's the leader of the opposition? Where's the opposition?
01:59The opposition was very clear when this Salary Reduce Commission report came to the parliament.
02:04We pronounced that we rejected it.
02:07They said there were anomalies and they brought it back.
02:09We do not have jurisdiction over that.
02:12This is purely in the domain of the cabinet of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
02:17The opposition is urging the national community to put pressure on the government to state its position now.
02:23The government, whether it is through the Minister of Finance or the Prime Minister,
02:28must come clean with the country and say, what is your position?
02:33Are you going to accept or are you going to reject the Salary Reduce Commission report?
02:40Renessa Cutting, TV6 News.
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