PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The general secretary of the National Trade Union Centre (NATUC), Michael Annisette, on Tuesday called on the Trinidad and Tobago government to rescind a decision to send home more than 10,000 workers employed under the Community-Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP).
The workers received their termination letters late last month, and the estimated 360 contractors were also informed of the immediate termination of their contracts.
The Kamla Persad-Bissessar government, which came to office on April 28 following the general election, has accused the former People’s National Movement (PNM) administration of corruption within the programme.
Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath stated that the contractors were hired for a further three years, just before the general election, which raises serious questions about impropriety.
“It raises serious questions as to why the Cabinet was not consulted or sought approvals concerning millions, if not billions, of dollars in government expenditure for over three years.
“The previous government kept asking us where all the money comes from. Therefore, what they sought to do was to commit us to three expenditures in the financial years of 2026, 2027, and 2028 without identifying where the funds are going to come from,” he added.
Minister in the Ministry of Public Utilities, Clyde Elder, a former senior trade unionist, described the dismissals as “collateral damage.”
However, Annisette stated that the United National Congress (UNC)-led coalition government, which includes two trade unionists, should have consulted with the workers before deciding to fire them.
“I am saying before you make decisions, and I am telling the government that, let us talk, don’t do like the PNM. Two wrongs can’t make a right…up to now we have our 12 per cent outstanding by the past government, who deliberately refused to honour a legitimate agreement that was negotiated,” he said, adding that he expects this new government to honour that agreement.
Annisette was referring to a 12 percent wage increase promised to workers at the Port of Spain in 2015 by the previous UNC government, which the last administration stated did not follow the guidelines and would therefore not be honoured.
The previous government had informed the Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union (SWWTU) that the memorandum of agreement (MOA) was not enforceable. In November of last year, port workers embarked on industrial action for over a month.
Regarding the CEPEP workers, Annisette, who has publicly supported the new administration, stated that he is a trade unionist and the workers have been traumatized by being dismissed.
“If you get up in the morning and you hear a decision has been taken just like that to fire you, what will happen. That is why we have the Severance and Benefits Act, which requires 45 days’ notice before terminating the services of workers.
“If the government had engaged the trade union and we are asking them to engage the trade union on matters of this nature, we would have been able to put on the table some plausible resolution that would not have caused, the disruption, the trauma, stress these groups of workers had to go through,” Annisette said.
Former prime minister Stuart Young, in a post on his Facebook page, said, “We witnessed the unjustified termination of hundreds of CEPEP contractors and, by extension, the loss of jobs for thousands of our citizens.
“Many affected citizens have contacted me. To do this to families, including thousands of parents, is simply cruel, inhumane, and wrong,” he said, adding, “I shall be reviewing this victimization from a legal perspective to establish what action can be brought against CEPEP Ltd and the Government for these premature and cruel terminations.
“The continued assault and clear vindictive behaviour of the government must not remain unchallenged,” he added.
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