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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