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CCNTV6
  • 1 year ago

As the working class continues to struggle while politicians serve themselves high salary increases...a rally is planned for this Saturday to express disapproval.

Transcript
00:00The working class faces continuous struggles.
00:03Tonight, David, I want to inform you that organizations like SwimGol, the solid waste
00:09management company of Trinidad and Tobago, organizations like Kariri, organizations like
00:14export centers, have not started negotiations to bring us up to date in most situations,
00:21especially for SwimGol.
00:22SwimGol has not started negotiations.
00:25We proposed for the 16th and 19th, and we have not received a counter proposal to date,
00:33David.
00:34While the government has received not only proposals, but offers for them to accept.
00:39But according to the union, it's the position of authorities that some deserve sweetheart
00:44deals and others do not.
00:47Roche references the incoming WASA CEO's handsome package of $100,000 a month.
00:55And I would imagine that he would have earned that, right?
00:57He educated himself and built up his experience and so forth.
01:01But is it that he's the only person that is earning a good salary in Trinidad and Tobago?
01:06Is it that he's the only person earning a good salary in state-owned organizations?
01:11Or is it that the workers who've upheld these organizations, for them to come in to, should
01:16be treated fairly?
01:18And how legitimate is the role of the chief personnel officer, Roche questions?
01:24How is it really a way of negotiating with?
01:27Because the court does not recognize the CPO as the entity we're negotiating with.
01:34They recognize us, our recognized majority union certificate is with the state organization.
01:41And then you're waiting six to 10 years to get any response.
01:45And there are continuous excuses, well, we didn't hear anything from the CPO's office.
01:51We didn't hear anything from the ministry.
01:52We can't treat with anything.
01:54At Swemcol, where waste workers are deemed essential, the adage of hard work pays off
02:00has lost its salience.
02:03You are working in an environment that is hazardous based on the tests that they've
02:08carried out.
02:10And they've not produced, these test results are not public.
02:13They've not made it available to us.
02:17The unions nor the workers have been provided any air tests, water tests, soil tests, etc.
02:23And we've been asking for it.
02:25We've been pleading that we find out, well, what are the contaminants that are going into
02:30our bodies?
02:33And despite all of these circumstances, the law says that we cannot strike.
02:41We cannot shut it down.
02:44Contracts have been capped by government by no more than 4%, even as monies are sourced
02:49for the highest politicians of the land to receive an over 60% increase in salaries.
02:56More belt tightening can be felt by contract workers at the St. Jude's Children's Home.
03:02These contracts are primarily month-to-month contracts, David.
03:08And in these month-to-month contracts, of course, no worker benefits, none, none whatsoever.
03:14And you're on a month-to-month contract for three and four years, some people even longer.
03:20I mean, what type of human being would do that to another human being?
03:24At what point of time do we say, you know, this is not slavery?
03:28You know, because it has to be, right?
03:31You have circumstances where you're saying, well, you're not a worker, you're a contractor.
03:37And therefore, we're not paying your NIS.
03:40Thus far, Roche accounts for some 22 trade disputes and 25 matters referred to the industrial
03:47court from the home.
03:50Where they've recognized you are now a member of the union, your contract not getting renewed.
03:57It's a pattern.
03:59All workers who sign up to be part of the union not getting a contract renewed.
04:06In addition to the fact that they're asking workers to sign backdated contracts.
04:12Where you have workers signing these backdated contracts, said that there's a flaw in administration.
04:17Unions are organizing a rally for Saturday outside Whitehall at 9 a.m. to express disapproval
04:24of cabinet's acceptance of the 120th Salaries Review Commission report.
04:31Urvashi Tamori, Rupanarayan, TV6 News.
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