National Security Minister Edmund Dillon yesterday admitted that crime was intolerable in T&T and said the mandate of the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) must be expanded to deal with the situation.

Yesterday, the murder rate for the year stood at 104.

Dillon was contributing to yesterday's House of Representatives debate on the Strategic Services (Amendment) Bill 2016, which was presented earlier by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Faris Al-Rawi.

"This bill seeks to deal with the national (security) interests of Trinidad and Tobago," Dillon told legislators, adding that "crime right now is intolerable with all of us. All of us cannot really tolerate the amount of crime in Trinidad and Tobago today," Dillon said.

He said consequently it was important for all legislators to unite in support of the fight against crime in a non-partisan manner.

He said there was no other issue getting as much attention among the population as issues of national security.

Dillon said for the six-month-old PNM Government there was no more important issue to address than the security of citizens in this country.

He said the bill was to give the required legislative authority to the expanded SSA.

The legislation gives the SSA "broader law enforcement coordination and intelligence functions."

He said if an expanded SSA existed in 1990, there would not have been an attempted coup in T&T as there would have been better coordination among the security agencies.

Earlier, the Leader of the Opposition Kamla Persad-Bissessar expressed her support, in principle, for the intent of the legislation. She said the Opposition was prepared to work with the Government and support it with the required consultations.

She commented on the discovery of the body of Eden Nekeisha Teesdale from Embacadere, San Fernando, which was found in Mitan River on Thursday. The deceased’s hands and neck were severed and her body was cut in two. "What kind of horrible person (would commit such an act), you murder someone, you cut them in half, cut off the head and you place it in a barrel. Where has our country gone, where is it going?" Persad-Bissessar asked.

She said the Opposition had some concerns about certain provisions of the bill including one to authorise the interception of private chats on Facebook and other social media. The former prime minister called for checks and balances to be added to ensure there was no abuse.

Persad-Bissessar also admitted that the appointment of former junior operator Reshmi Ramnarine in 2011 as the director of the SSA was "a terrible mistake," adding that appointment may have resulted in her People’s Partnership government being voted out of office in 2015.

She pleaded with the Government not to make a similar mistake.

The inability of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to manage its own finances is one of the reasons cited for delays in the criminal justice system. 

Addressing a meeting of the Joint Select Committee on Finance and Legal Affairs in Parliament yesterday, DPP Roger Gaspard, SC, said that his department’s lack of financial autonomy affects its ability to properly staff its department and provide training to staff. 

Asked by committee members Government Senator Michael Coppin and San Fernando East MP Randall Mitchell if his office could recruit newly graduated lawyers to fill the gaps whilst the Office of the Attorney General and Judicial and Legal Services Commission (JLSC) addressed a long-term staffing solution, Gaspard said no. 

“The DPP’s Office does not have its own budget and is having problems acquiring photocopiers, paper and ink. In those circumstances and having the need to prioritise...while in an ideal world we might have outreach programmes, at the moment that is not within our capacity,” Gaspard said. 

Gaspard also claimed that the staff shortage was affecting his office’s ability to train prosecutors and have them assigned to specialised areas of criminal law, both of which he said are needed to address the backlog of criminal cases before the courts.

“We have to increase staff and only then we would be afforded the luxury and comfort of placing attorneys in specialised areas. As it is now everybody has to do everything,” Gaspard said. 

Responding to Gaspard’s complaints, permanent secretary in the Office of the AG, Ingrid Seerattan, said that her ministry was in the process of hiring 15 state attorneys to supplement the DPP’s staff, but she noted that additional prosecutors could not be hired until new offices are provided to house them.

Seerattan noted that the DPP’s new Tobago office is expected to open later this year, but that the Ministry of Public Administration was yet to approve buildings in Port-of-Spain and San Fernando that were proposed almost two years ago. 

“We are working assiduously but it is impossible to say because it is not in our hands,” Seerattan said when asked by chairman of the committee Independent Senator Sophia Chote for a timeline for completion of the projects. 

In addition to issues with staff and financing, Gaspard also claimed that delays were caused because of the small pool of criminal defence attorneys available to accused people. 

“Persons seek representation from a small pool of attorneys and once these attorneys are caught up in other trials you find that those matters are almost always continuously adjourned,” Gaspard said. 

The T&T Police Service has initiated a criminal investigation into allegations of fraud and misconduct levelled against Port-of-Spain South MP Marlene McDonald.

McDonald, the former minister of housing and urban development, was removed as a Cabinet minister on Thursday.

She was replaced by former public administration minister and San Fernando East MP Randall Mitchell.

In an interview yesterday, following the second of three panel discussions at a symposium on the state of the economy, acting Commissioner of Police Stephen Williams said an investigation had begun.

The symposium was held at the Learning Resource Centre of the University of the West Indies, St Augustine campus. Asked to provide the areas to be looked at during the investigation, Williams did not answer. He also did not say who had been charged with overseeing the investigation. Williams said his “open day for media” was Wednesdays and so he would not provide further information until then.

Early this month, Fixin T&T spokesman and anti-corruption activist Kirk Waithe wrote to Williams requesting that a criminal investigation be launched into the setting up and operations of the Calabar Foundation. The Calabar Foundation was run by Carew and received payments from the Ministry of Community Development in 2010. The cheques were paid to the foundation before it registered a name.

The story about the Calabar Foundation first broke in the Sunday Guardian in December 2014, written by investigative reporter Renuka Singh. Waithe requested that the police investigate to determine whether any fraud or misrepresentation was perpetrated and whether there was any misbehaviour in public office by McDonald.

Waithe also revealed that McDonald had breached parliamentary rules and hired relatives to work in her constituency office.

In a telephone interview yesterday, attorney Lyndon Leu said in addition to breaches to the Integrity in Public Life Act, police investigators could also investigate for possible fraud due to the monies allegedly approved by McDonald for payment to the Calabar Foundation.

“It all depends on where the funds ended up. Where the funds end up will determine if it is a criminal charge or not. The police have to investigate where it ended up,” Leu said.

“They may have issues for her in terms of approving any funds, and she may or may not be culpable as a secondary party.” Leu said even if the foundation wasn’t incorporated, if the funds were used for the purpose for which the foundation was founded police may not be able to lay charges.

“If it ended up in his (Carew’s) personal account and then it disappeared it may be fraud.” Late last year, Opposition Senator Wayne Sturge forwarded a dossier on alleged breaches of the Integrity in Public Life Act to both the Integrity Commission and the acting Commissioner of Police. The breaches stemmed from the allocation of a Fidelis Heights house to McDonald’s romantic partner Michael Carew in 2008.

In January, HDC allocations manager Lauren Legall forwarded a complaint to the Commissioner of Police regarding what she called “unusual enquiries” from McDonald. Legall claimed that sometime in November, McDonald made enquiries as to the status of the deed for Mr Michael Carew. She claimed McDonald had informed her that Carew had paid in full for a unit at the Fidelis Heights Housing Development since 2008 and had not received the deed for the property.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, during a post-Cabinet press conference in Tobago, had initially stated that he would not fire McDonald McDonald did not answer calls to her mobile phone or respond to a text message from this reporter yesterday.

Political analyst

In an interview yesterday political analyst Dr Winford James said McDonald’s quality of service as an MP for her constituency must be weighed when determining if it was appropriate for her to resign.

The calls for McDonald’s resignation came from members of the Opposition as well as former Port-of-Spain mayor Louis Lee Sing, following the revelation of McDonald’s hiring practices.

“The question arises of whether she is suited to be an MP if she has such hiring practices. I can see people saying she is not fair-minded. That is how it can be perceived,” James said. He added that if people were to call on her to resign it must be tempered by the rest of her work. “Is she a suitable representative of her constituency by and large except for this one mistake? It appears that overall she was good, her constituents could point at the number of good things she has done. If the evidence points to a good quality of representation, it [raises the] question whether on the basis of one blemish she should resign.

“It must be weighed against what people are saying is a good record of service to her constituency.” He said in McDonald’s case there was a clear violation of a rule against employing relatives. He said the perception was that you “could not trust her in a public office as high as the one she was fired from.”

See Page A10

Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar sought to clear the air yesterday over allegations that she employed two relatives at her Siparia constituency office. 

While she admitted there were two employees who “may fall under the category of relative,” she said they were hired 20 years and 14 years ago, respectively. Persad-Bissessar said there was no breach of the law or any parliamentary guidelines in the employment of the two employees but she has written to the Clerk of the House seeking clarification on new guidelines. She gave assurance that she would take the necessary steps to resolve the matter. Addressing scores of party loyalists yesterday at the Couva South Hall, Camden Road, in Couva, during the United National Congress’ (UNC) national congress, the former prime minister said she wanted to spend a few moments “only” speaking on that issue.

Typical modus operandi by the detractors of the People’s National Movement (PNM) was how Persad-Bissessar described the recent allegations. She said when the PNM was under fire, it sought to distract the population from the real issues at hand. Almost 20 minutes into her address, Persad-Bissessar said, “And so we saw with the Minister of Housing, issues and serious issues related to the HDC and housing, related to the Calabar Foundation and so on...real issues, and in order to distract those serious issues which led to her firing, they are now raising issues about persons employed in constituency offices.”

She said there was no breach of the law or any parliamentary guidelines regarding those employed at her office. While she did not identify the employees by relation or name, Persad-Bissessar said, “There are two people at my office—one of whom was hired 20 years ago and continues to work continuously from 20 years ago and the other was hired 14 years ago and continues to work.” She said the Constituency Operations Manual under which she operated clearly stated who were the people restricted from being employed in constituency offices. Reading from page seven of the manual, she said those people included spouse, children or parents. 

“I state categorically today, that no spouse of mine, children of mine or parents of mine have ever been employed at the constituency office.” This was received with a loud applause. However, she said, it was brought to her attention that those guidelines were changed after the elections in 2015. 

She said in addition to spouse, children and parents, the new guidelines included a category under relatives. Persad-Bissessar said, “There are two persons in my office who may fall as being hired under the category of relatives.” “The question arises whether having been employed by the regulations in place—the guidelines, 20 years ago, 14 years ago, right up until September—whether they (employees) now fall into these restricted categories. “To that end, having been brought to my attention, I have communicated with the Clerk of the House seeking clarification and advice on the changes in the guidelines, as to first state whether these employees should be terminated.”

Additionally, Persad-Bissessar said she wanted to know whether any renumeration paid to them by the Parliament would have to be reimbursed from September. She also sought to find out what arrangements would be put in place for those who have been employed on a contiguous basis and were properly hired under the guidelines. 

See Pages A5 & A24

And what arrangements would be put in place for those who would not have had an opportunity under natural justice or otherwise and who would now find themselves, should they be terminated, on the breadline. “I await the responses from the Clerk of the House and I give the full commitment that I will take all steps necessary to rectify the situation for resolution, should the Clerk so advise,” she said. However, she is questioning when the guidelines were made, by whom and how they were approved.

Apart from Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar, two other Opposition UNC MPs had relatives employed at their respective constituency offices in this current parliamentary term, and a third UNC MP still has a “distant” relative employed.

They are Princes Town MP Barry Padarath, Caroni Central MP Dr Bhoe Tewarie and Mayaro MP Rushton Paray.

Last Friday ILP leader Rekha Ramjit called on Persad-Bissessar to resign since Ramjit alleged it was “public knowledge” two of Persad-Bissessar's nieces have been employed at her constituency office in Penal Junction for “well over a decade.”

Ramjit said parliamentary rules on constituency staff hiring made it clear MPs aren’t permitted to hire their relatives, and this includes nieces and nephews, as constituency office staff. Ramjit accused Persad-Bissessar of breaching the Integrity in Public Life law that deals with conflict of interest.

While Persad-Bissessar explained her situation at UNC’s Couva Congress yesterday, Princes Town MP Padarath said last month when he received the parliament’s manual on constituency office rules, he realised he’d have to act since a relative of his is employed at his constituency office.

Padarath declined to specify the relative, but said it was an immediate relative. He confirmed the person had been working at the office since he became MP. The monthly salary was $10,000.

Padarath said he was aware of the old rules, but when he got the new (2015-2020) constituency office handbook, he realised under rules for the current term, the relative couldn’t continue. “The person’s employment was terminated at the end of February.

“I also contacted the Clerk of the House on the matter and informed the Parliament I’ll be returning the salary which was paid to the person each month, so the total I’m repaying is about $60,000,”

Mayaro MP Paray said when he was elected MP last year, several people were already working at the Mayaro constituency office from the tenure of the previous MP Winston Peters. Paray said one employee was a distant relative of his—the daughter of his grandfather’s second wife.

He added, “I knew I had to be careful since when we got the manual, it stated relatives couldn’t be hired. I informed the Parliament and was told that because of the distance of the relationship between the employee and myself, they didn’t see it as a problem.”

Paray said the person was still employed at the constituency office, but is now only part-time, working three days a week.

Tewarie, who is overseas, confirmed a relative did work in his constituency office, but is no longer there. He didn’t reply to further queries.

Other UNC MPs—Roodal Moonilal, Ganga Singh, Ramona Ramdial, David Lee, Vidya Gayadeen-Gopeesingh, Christine Hosein, Dr Lackram Bodoe, and Suruj Rambachan—confirmed they didn’t have relatives working at their constituency offices. MPs Fuad Khan and Tim Gopeesingh have already said they didn’t have relatives employed. Among UNC MPs who served before, Moonilal, Rambachan and Ramdial said they hadn’t had relatives working at offices previously. 

HIRING RULES

Parliament’s communication division yesterday clarified the constituency office hiring rules.

The Constituency Manual for the immediate past 10th Parliament (2010-2015) stated that MPs have the authority to employ, promote or terminate employees. Under Points to Note (Staff) it also stated MPs “should not hire members of their immediate family, (defined as spouse, children or parents) to work in their constituency office.”

Rules in the Constituency Handbook for the current 11th Parliament (2015-2020) are more specific. Under “Engagement of Constituency Office Staff” it states “Restriction on Employment of Relatives.”

The clause states that members are restricted from employing relatives as employees in their constituency offices. Relatives include the following individuals: (a) spouses; (b) co-habitants; (c) children/step-children/adopted children/ grandchildren; (d) parents/step-parents/grandparents; (e) siblings; (f) nephews/nieces; (g) uncles/aunts; (h) cousins.

KHAN TO KAMLA: STEP DOWN

​That’s PNM chairman Franklin Khan’s call to Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.

Speaking after yesterday’s PNM general council meeting, he said in the same way Persad-Bissessar called for the firing of former minister Marlene McDonald for allegedly hiring her common-law spouse and his brother at her constituency office, Persad-Bissessar also needs to step down on the same basis.

“What is her position on her own challenges? She’s also accused of breaching parliament rules. She must make a statement the same way the Prime Minister acted on Ms McDonald,” Khan added.

“We understand she isn’t alone, current and past ministers also breached the code. There are backdated dismissal letters about people when Parliament adjudicated on her. I expect the same action the PM enacted with Ms McDonald.”

Several PNM MPs yesterday confirmed they didn’t have relatives working at constituency offices including MPs Adrian Leonce, Terrence Deyalsingh, Colm Imbert, Maxie Cuffie, Anthony Garcia and Faris Al-Rawi. Cuffie said since most PNM MPs are new, they studied the rules.

There have been renewed calls by the T&T Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) to scrap the Continuous Assessment Component (CAC) of the Secondary Entrance Assessment Examination (SEA).

This follows the latest incident in which all of the music scores which were uploaded in 2015 and contributed to the final scores of the 2016 SEA candidates “cannot be located.”

In addition it is alleged that the scores for all the other CAC subjects (Agri–science, PE, Science, Character and Citizenship Education, Drama, Creative Writing and Art) have been “mixed up” by the IT department of the Ministry of Education by allocating incorrect marks to students, thereby compromising the integrity of the 2016 SEA exam. 

Speaking to the Sunday Guardian yesterday, TTUTA president Devanand Sinanan said, “There are many irregularities associated with the CAC. 

“We've called on the Ministry of Education to put an immediate halt to the CAC at the Standard Four level. We’ve written a letter to the Education Minister Anthony Garcia to that effect and once again reiterate that call.

“That issue is not the first time this has happened, it seems to be the norm whereby instructions are inconsistent and change on a daily basis.” 

He said that principals were being made to make practically daily trips to the divisional offices to either drop off or collect items.

Sinanan said the level of frustration that was currently being experienced by teachers, principals, students and parents was phenomenal. 

He said during consultations the frustration that people were experiencing and their concerns would have come out loud and clear.

Sinanan said at each consultation people were complaining bitterly about the CAC, again calling on the ministry to put a halt to it and the ball was in the ministry’s court. 

He said taking into consideration the long list of complaints, along with the latest directive from the ministry, TTUTA reiterated its call for the CAC to be halted at least at the Standard Four level until a proper review was done on the whole programme and the issues causing concern were dealt with. 

Garcia: I am not aware of incident

When Education Minister Anthony Garcia returned the Sunday Guardian’s call yesterday, he said he was not aware of the incident of the missing CAC music scores and other subjects. After he was apprised of the situation he promised to have the matter investigated. 

A Gran Couva woman is demanding justice after an irate motorist attacked her and her family following a bad drive on Friday.

Michelle Roxanne Ramdoolar, a student at the Arthur Lok Jack School of Business, went on Facebook hours after the incident, asking the public to assist her in identifying the assailant.

In her post, Ramdoolar said she was driving in the vicinity of the Savonetta Fire Station, when the man overtook a long line of traffic and squeezed in front of her.

“I allowed him to cut in to avoid a possible accident but then he stopped abruptly to let out a passenger. I blew my horn, went around him and continued on my way only to realize he was driving at the side of me, cursing and asking if I was trying to damage his car,” Ramdoolar said.

She said the driver also tried to run her off the road.

“In a fit of rage he pulled in front of me, blocking traffic on both sides of the road. He ‘raff’ open my door and cuffed me multiple times on my face, dragged me out of my car by my hair and beat me in the road, bursting my mouth in multiple places and bruising me all over my body,” Ramdoolar added.

Her mother, Tara, and sister Rachell-Ann Ramdoolar tried to intervene, “but the man beat both of them,” Ramdoolar added.

Saying she believed the man was a PH driver, Ramdoolar warned the public to beware.

“Trinidad really have demons and if you know him or his whereabouts, please, I urge you to contact the nearest police station or convince him to turn himself in,” Ramdoolar added.

The three women went to the Couva District Health Facility where they got medical treatment. However, Ramdoolar said when they went to the Couva Police Station they were told that a report could not be taken as the station was short-staffed.

Couva police said yesterday that they were aware of the incident and were conducting investigations.

Investigations are continuing into the murder of a 38-year-old secondary schoolteacher at Maracas, St Joseph.

The deceased was identified as Sherwin Wallace of Fairley Street, Tunapuna.

According to a police report, at about 2.45 am, Wallace was driving his PBZ 6329 Suzuki Grand Vitara SUV along Maracas Royal Road, near Maracas Gardens, when his vehicle was shot at and subsequently intercepted by another vehicle.

Police said the occupants, two masked men, exited the car and opened fire, killing Wallace instantly. The men then escaped in their vehicle. 

Wallace’s friend, identified as Quincy Small of La Seiva in Maraval, who was in Wallace’s SUV at the time, was shot in the leg during the incident. He was taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mount Hope, where he was treated and warded in a stable condition.

Police said Wallace was an Information Technology teacher at a secondary school.

The officers did not reveal the name of the school.

Investigating officers said they received information that Wallace and Small had minutes before left a party in the area.

According to intelligence reports, Wallace had known one of the country’s biggest drug dealers and was wanted by the police on enquiries. However, it was not disclosed what the enquiries were in connection with.

Police said two weeks ago, a man, also known by the same drug lord, was arrested for having several high-tech guns in his possession.

That arrest came after extensive intelligence and surveillance.

Minister of Education Anthony Garcia, when contacted yesterday for comment, said that he was not aware of the incident in which the teacher was killed, and gave the assurance that he would launch his own investigations into the matter.

When told about information released by the police and intelligence, Garcia said he couldn’t comment until he was briefed.

T&T does not produce enough food to feed its population.

In fact, if women were to take the advice given by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to “learn to peel cassava” in an attempt to cut spending, they would quickly run out of the commodity.

This is because local farmers produce a little over 50 per cent of the market’s demand for cassava and in the case of plantain, this figure decreases to 11 per cent.

To make up the shortfall in commercial and industrial supply locally, T&T imports these products contributing to a food bill that is way above TT$4 billion.

Of the ten agricultural commodities produced locally, only one, sweet potato, meets and surpasses public demand.

For several years, successive governments have encouraged citizens to buy local, with Finance Minister Colm Imbert being the latest to give the advice in relation to conserving foreign exchange.

Last week a supermarket owner made the prediction that within the next few months T&T would begin a food crisis due to the difficulties faced accessing foreign exchange to import foreign goods.

According to president of the Agricultural Society of T&T (ASTT) Dhano Sookoo, encouraging people to buy local is a futile endeavour if meeting the demand of the local population is not a reality.

In an interview, on a Maloney farm, last week, Sookoo said it was impossible for local farmers and agro-processors to meet the needs of the national population at the current rates of agricultural production in this country.

In a sector as dynamic as agriculture, the reasons for the failure of this country to meet its agricultural demands are many.

Sookoo said, however, it can be accomplished but only through the creation and implementation of policy directed at sector growth.

“We have heard about diversification but how can we diversify the economy if the strategies aren’t being put in place.”

Farmers need land, water, equipment and capital, legislation to strengthen the sector as well as workers who aren’t afraid of hot sun and hard labour.

No access to land

The Government allows farmers access to state lands for an annual rental fee and relevant taxes, with the stipulation that at least 75 per cent of the land be used for agricultural production.

According to one farmer, who chose to remain anonymous, accessing state land for agriculture has become a process filled with corruption and high prices.

The corruption surrounds land titles.

“We are supposed to get titles for lands for agriculture from the land administration division but that is now like a real estate agency.

“What happens is we go for the title and they give us a runaround or we are told to make it easier we have to pay the officer a few thousand dollars.

“Sometimes an officer will tell you to go to somebody else who has the titles for land but isn’t a farmer and we rent from him and pay a few thousand dollars per crop.”

Asked about this issue, Minister in the Ministry of Agriculture, Avinash Singh, said he was unaware of such issues but added that when his party entered Government, the post of Commissioner of State Lands was vacant.

“That hasn’t been brought to my attention as yet. When we came in for a period of time there was no commissioner and a lot of activities were not monitored or maintained. A couple of weeks ago, a commissioner was appointed to act. He is on the job.”

The situation isn’t new.

In 2006, the ASTT mapped the farming communities in T&T to have the land situation regularised.

At the time, they found dead people’s names on the database and people who had migrated. Over 100 farmers received their tenancy documents.

While Singh was unaware of the issue, Sookoo said the corrupt practices were very real. 

“The issue of state land for agriculture in the past 15 years or so has been a big real estate business for these agriculture officers and there has been no mechanism within the framework of the Ministry of Agriculture land management unit that is functional that can treat with issues like that once identified,” Sookoo said.

Sookoo said it had become the norm within the land management division for these public officers to be trading with state lands, resulting in people who were not farmers receiving titles for agriculture lands which remain uncultivated. 

“These young farmers are going into agriculture which has a high intensive capital investment and they are being told to pay for state land which is supposed to be free for agricultural production. 

“Your investment is supposed to start with your plants but now you have additional capital expenditure having to pay for land in many instances. I am not saying in all instances. That is where the challenge starts, access to land. 

“Many times, the farmer planting the crop have to pay rental for the land and the man who is profiting is the man who doesn’t farm because he is a real estate agent.”

She identified Orange Grove and some parts of Sangre Grande as having cases of agricultural land being distributed to non-farmers.

In 2004, the Central Statistical Office (CSO) agricultural census said this country had 19,143 farmers.

In 2006, 2007 and later years, farmers were removed from lands for industrial development and housing.

“Once you lose your land, your access to land, your production decreases and then you start having increased food bill by way of importation of food. 

“You start to get unhealthy food and unhealthy people and social issues coming across. It’s a whole chain and when one part of the agriculture value chain is affected the rest collapses. 

“When you decrease your production and decrease your processing, you decrease your export and increase your import which increases your demand on foreign exchange, so it is not just about going out there and planting, it is about understanding your economy and how it functions and the agriculture sector is the most dynamic of all sectors in the country,” Sookoo said.

Continuing next week

In response to recent media reports concerning the issuance of Priority Bus Route passes to certain maxi taxi operators, the Ministry of Works and Transport wishes to provide some clarification of the issues. 

In a release yesterday, it said since 2005, government policy regarding this issue is clear and is as follows:

1) A PBR permit is non–transferable,

2) The transfer of “H” rights from 25-seater maxi taxis to 12-seater maxi taxis is prohibited 

3) The transfer of “H” rights in respect of maxi taxis is not to be entertained by the Licensing Authority, except in case of a replacement of a similar or greater capacity vehicle and 

4) There was an agreement that on a phased basis, an equal mix of 12-seater and 25–seater maxi taxis be allowed to operate on the PBR.

It added, therefore, that the claims made by the president of the Route 2 Maxi Taxi Association that PBR permits had been denied to certain applicants since the change of Government was wholly erroneous. 

It said the public was hereby advised that maxi taxi operators continued to engage in arrangements contrary to the above stated policy. 

It cited an example where maxi taxis were sold and not transferred on the records of the Licensing Authority, in breach of the law, but the original owner retained the permit which allowed the vehicle access to the PBR. 

The ministry had received complaints that these retained PBR permits were used to illegally extract monthly sums from the new beneficial owners. 

The ministry confirmed that discussions were held with the Route 2 Maxi Taxi Association, which advocated for the transfer of these permits to the new applicants and assured the public the matter was receiving the attention of the ministry on a case-by-case basis. 

It said during those discussions, the president of the association admitted that some of his members abused, or intended to abuse, the system and the president gave an undertaking to submit a list of persons on whose behalf he was advocating. 

It added that it must also be noted that the president agreed with the ministry that the matter was purely for consideration and broached no guarantee of the issuance of such PBR permits. 

The public is further advised that the grant of such permits would require a change in the long-established and well-known policy. 

T&T’s Machel Montano and St Vincent’s Skinny Fabulous are today smiling from ear to ear no doubt, having recently sealed a deal with ESPN’s publishing rep, PILOT, for the use of their collaborative 2016 soca track, Go Hard. 

Ebuzztt spoke with the local rep for DirectionTT—the company which initiated the Go Hard collaboration in the Caribbean—and according to the rep, the deal struck is a financially “sound” one that will hear the track played across ESPN channels worldwide for four months.

Skinny Fabulous, Montano and College Boy Jesse, along with producer Mr Spine penned the track. Barbados’ De Red Boys produced the single and now, they’re all said to be benefiting in some way from the deal.

According to DirectionTT, PILOT, acting on behalf of the sport network ESPN, has been seeking out new music for a new campaign they’ve been working on.

“We’ve received reports that it’s already been heard on ESPN Alaska and it’s expected to be played on all ESPN channels around the world,” said the rep.

In a chat with Skinny Fabulous today, Ebuzztt learnt that the initial contact was made with Montano’s team.

“As an artiste these are the things that we count as rewards for what we do. When we go on stage and we see people react positively to our music—when they jump and wave and dance, this is the reward we get. It’s not always about the financial gain. When these things happen, it means that somebody, somewhere in the world, other than the Caribbean region, recognises that there are songs and talent that’s worthy of that level of programming,” said Skinny—real name, Gamal Doyle.

When we caught up with Skinny earlier, he’d been in the studio preparing to lay down some new music. He’s in preparation mode for St Vincent’s Carnival, which culminates during the first weekend in July.

(courtesy Ebuzztt)

Q: Dr Hosein, which is most appropriate to describe our economic condition today: recession, regression, downturn, or what have you?

A: (In his office at the St Augustine Campus of the University of the West Indies) I think we are in a recession on account of the Dutch Disease (DD).

To the layman, what exactly is Dutch Disease?

This refers to the adverse effect on an economy occasioned by a boom in one of the tradable goods. In our case, this DD took place in the petroleum sector and the manifest effect of this is seen in a decline in employment in manufacturing, a decline in the size of manufacturing value added, and a decline in the size of manufacturing export revenue.

In my mind, the sectors that we should be concerned about that were adversely affected in the past energy booms were manufacturing, export/agriculture and tourism.

These sectors can generate foreign exchange in times such as now but they were the most compromised because of the change in relative prices in the domestic economy.

Have you seen any move towards correcting this situation over the years?

Yes. I think the present Government is certainly making a lot of statements with regards to correcting some of the tendencies that were developed in the last 15 years.

Is it just statements you are seeing...no action?

I say statements because we are not seeing much action, some may say we will see action after the Finance Minister presents his mid-year review. In all fairness we have to wait, but there is more conversation around change rather than the actual hardcore action in the direction which the change should be taken.

Dr Hosein, you were among the first to support the freezing of wages at the National Gas Company which landed you in some heat with the trade unions.

I am in support of freezing wages at this time in the context of the economic climate because we simply cannot afford a decline in external competitiveness as reflected in the various economic reports.

So, Dr Hosein (a somewhat fast speaker), in recalibrating the country’s economy what is the best way forward?

Okay. In so doing, Mr Raphael, one strategy that must be considered before retrenching workers is one of freezing wages, trying to preserve employment and in parallel with increased productivity.

Dr, why in these times the first people to face the breadline are always the workers, why this sort of punitive response?

I certainly do not think this should be at the expense of the workers. My knee-jerk reaction and my opinion has always been try to save jobs. Try to increase productivity, cut costs where we can, but preserve employment because people’s welfare are very closely linked to employment.

But to answer your question from another perspective, in the time period 2000 to 2015, we were able to make a lot of money in the energy sector. Some firms including banks made enormous amount of money in this economy. Now is the time for these large companies to show a greater degree of commitment to the T&T economy by engaging and embracing public/private partnership agreements so that we can stimulate economic activity.

Dr Hosein, the MO of the private sector is to make as much profit as possible. How do you reconcile this fact with the appeal by the Government to these firms to make less profits at this time of economic contraction?

I don’t think that is an entirely unreasonable call at this time. I think all hands on deck are needed in the context of this new normal, and what would therefore be required is greater collaboration between employers, employees, the unions and the state.

So one solution is the public/private partnership, and I think the present strategy of increasing mortgage rates may be one that would have to be relooked because increasing this rate would decrease the demand for housing at this time.

Wouldn’t this, Dr, have a deleterious effect on the construction sector since this is a vital component of pushing economic activity?

Yes. It is well known that this sector is one of the engines through which an economy restarts the growth process.

So even if it is fair or unfair, it is strategic and useful from an economic growth perspective for policy makers to try to work with the banking sector to get the mortgage rates to a level in which it would be useful to rekindle the construction sector, rather than be an obstacle towards the growth process there.

Dr Hosein, you spoke about diversifying our economy, something I have been hearing about since a little boy. What is happening there?

Let me put it this way, during the 2000 to 2015 period, the opportunities in the make-work programmes drew a large proportion of the workforce that would have been deployed in the agricultural sector away from this sector, towards the make-work schemes (smiles).

The capacity of this sector to sustain itself and to produce large enough volumes of goods to meet the needs of a growing per capita GDP in the economy was constrained. Further, many consumers turned towards the foreign market for different types of agricultural produce...apples, seedless grapes, strawberry, and all the different types of berries we love to buy.

Consequently?

What happened is that in terms of the way trade data is recorded, agricultural imports soared as we speak. I think agricultural imports is about $6 billion and so we need to get our policy coordination together.

If the Minister of Trade is announcing a buy-local campaign and if we relate that argument to the agricultural sector, but yet at the same time we are deploying important parts of the labour force in make-work programmes that sector would not be able to rise to the campaign call because there are constraints for labour.

So there is a misalignment for policy coordination and we need to sit and work out the details and make sure that all of us are rowing in the same direction.

Your plan to take some of the Cepep workers and put them into agriculture makes some sense, but don’t you think that because of their culture over the years they might be averse to go to the land?

Look, Mr Raphael, we have to start somewhere. We have no money and as a consequence, we need to start to make tough decisions. In these tough economic times we need to work together, all of us, to rebuild this nation.

These same Cepep workers and people of that nature would have reaped benefits when we had plenty money to go around...CDAP, free schooling, free medical facilities, free public transport, free school lunches. 

In times of plenty we shared a lot, what is wrong that in trying times we put our heads together to rebuild our nation?

Finally, Dr Hosein, there are some people who are still saying that we do not need to diversify as we already have the infrastructure to widen and strengthen our productive capacity. Do you buy into that?

Mr Raphael, this economy has no choice, absolutely no choice in terms of not diversifying. We must diversify and if not, we are going to the IMF and end up an economy running under a structural adjustment programme.

Handed down by the IMF?

Yes.

Forced to go into hiding after witnessing a contraband deal, 14-year-old Darian Nedd finally met his death yesterday, after two men chopped off his limbs with a cutlass and then set fire to his home, leaving him to die.

The Form One student, of Red Brick Trace, attended the Siparia East Secondary School. His charred, dismembered body was found around 12.30 am, amid the ruins of the wooden house. His right foot and left hand were missing. It is uncertain whether he was still alive when the house was set on fire. 

Up to late yesterday, police had held a 25-year-old man for questioning. They were also searching for two other suspects. Investigators said Nedd had an ongoing dispute with some men who accused him of being an informant. 

Nedd’s mother, Christine, who sells oysters at Otaheite Junction, said she was not at home when the fire started. Christine said she made several reports to the Oropouche police,  begging for assistance to save her son.

However, police never arrested the suspects. “My son hiding for months now. He went to live with (name called) but because he had school he came back last week,” Christine said. She explained that hours before his death, Nedd cut the grass around their home and played marble pitch. 

“He was happy. We didn’t think this was going to happen,” Christine said. 

She explained that Nedd loved to fight with his seven-year-old sister Victoria Pekhoo. “Yesterday was the only day I did not quarrel with him. He used to be there, helping me with the oysters. Now he is gone,” Christine said, as tears ran down her swollen eyes. She said around midnight when she finished work, she got news that her home was on fire. 

Her cousin Mitra ran to the house and called out to Nedd but it was only when the flames subsided that they found the body. 

A witness, who requested anonymity, said two men were seen throwing flambeaus inside the house which is situated off a bumpy track at the end of Red Brick Trace, behind the SM Jaleel factory. A blood-stained cutlass was also seen at the side of the house but this was hidden before the police came, the source added. Neighbours said they did not know what happened as they were not at home. Nedd’s elder sister Kristie Benjamin said they made several reports of threats to the Oropouche police. 

“Now everyone is living in fear. My brother was like my child. I used to do everything for him when he was a baby,” Kristie wept. Detectives from the South Western Division Task Force yesterday combed through the Otaheite region, searching for the suspects. The police helicopter was also used in the search.

An autopsy will be done at the Forensic Science Centre in Port-of-Spain today.

Investigations are continuing.

Spanish energy giant Repsol may be taken to the Industrial Court for unfair dismissal by former employees, who were retrenched following a decision by the parent company in October 2015 to lay off 1,500 workers—six per cent of its global workforce. 

T&T Guardian understands that these workers are currently in discussions as to their next move with a representative from the Bankers Insurance and General Workers Union (BIGWU). Meanwhile, Repsol, on March 15, made partial payments on some of the workers’ severance packages.

Subsequent to a meeting with 11 workers, BIGWU’s Don Devenish and Repsol officials, it was agreed that Repsol would pay six weeks per year that each worker was employed with the company. Initially, the workers claim that instead of three month’s salary per year in severance payments, which is the industry standard, the retrenched workers were offered two and three weeks of salary a year. 

In a January 21 statement to the media, Repsol said the dramatic collapse in oil prices started in July 2014 and it has been a tough time for the industry. Repsol says that the reality is that no oil and gas company is immune to low commodity prices. 

“Our main focus is for safe and efficient operations while constantly reviewing our organisation needs that is best for our company,” Repsol said, adding that market conditions had worsened.

Yet another attack on a young partygoer at a nightclub in Port-of-Spain has left 22-year-old Nicholas Grillet badly wounded and in excruciating pain. He was allegedly beaten by bouncers attached to the 51 Degrees Night Club located at Cipriani Boulevard, Port-of-Spain.

Speaking with the T&T Guardian yesterday, Grillet said at about 3 am he had an altercation with a patron which escalated into a scuffle outside the club. He said, however, everything was quickly resolved between the two when he (Grillet) made his way up inside the club to lodge a complaint to management.

Grillet said he spoke with a man, who identified himself as a shareholder of the club.

“After speaking with him he told me that he was going to look for the fella, the same guy that I had the scuffle with earlier, to have him put out of the club. So, while he was gone I was there with my girlfriend and when I looked through a nearby door I saw one of the bouncers approaching me and then felt him grab me by my throat,”  Grillet said.

Grillet explained how he was dragged on the ground by the throat and beaten about his entire body. He was also kicked and stood up on by the bouncers on the head and chest.

“I was kicked in my eyes and suffered a busted head and bruises to under my arms, my back and chest,” he said.

The beating did not end there for Grillet. He was allegedly thrown in the stairway where he was again beaten and then thrown outside the club where he was again beaten this time by more of the club’s bouncers. Grillet said he has been a patron at the club numerous times before and had seen his attackers, the said bouncers, before.

Grillet said he was forced to drive himself to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mount Hope for medical treatment. An official statement was lodged at the Woodbrook Police Station, however, Grillet said when he went there late yesterday afternoon to lodge the report he was met with a little opposition from a police officer.

“The officer kept putting his own words in my mouth when I was trying to tell him what happened and when the report was read to me I realised there were errors. When I told the officer that it was not what I said he just scratched it out and didn’t write down what I told him happened,” Grillet said. Grillet said he is currently looking at his options on a legal basis.

PC Keron Clement of the Woodbrook Police Station is continuing investigations. Efforts to contact the management of the club late yesterday were unsuccessful.

Calling: the Clerk of the House of Representatives!

Amid moves by Fixin T&T to get the Integrity Commission and Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to examine several Opposition MPs’ hiring of relatives at constituency offices, Opposition MP Suruj Rambachan yesterday called on the Clerk of the House to clarify Parliament’s guidelines on the hiring issue.

Opposition Leader  Kamla Persad-Bissessar and UNC MPs, MPs Barry Padarath, Dr Bhoe Tewarie and Rushton Paray indicated over the weekend, relatives are working, and had worked at their constituency offices.

Fixin T&T yesterday said it will be asking the IC and DPP today to investigate if they breached Integrity in Public  Life law by this.

PNM minister Marlene McDonald was dismissed by the Prime Minister last week after a third set of allegations against her surfaced, this one involving  alleged breach of Parliament rules concerning alleged hiring of her common-law spouse and his brother at her Port-of-Spain constituency office during 2010-2015.

Persad- Bissessar last Saturday at a UNC Congress reportedly said two relatives had been employed at her constituency office for several years and after this term’s new guidelines, was seeking advice from the Parliament on the situation.

Padarath said he terminated the constituency office employment of a relative in February after receiving the Parliament’s constituency manual for the 2015-2020 term then. This outlaws hiring of various types of relatives.

Padarath made it clear yesterday, it wasn’t an “immediate” relative (as incorrectly reported yesterday) who had worked in his constituency office. He said he contacted the Parliament and is repaying salaries paid to the person.

Tewarie, replying to query if he has a relative working at his constituency office, had said, “No, but I did.”

Paray said he’d informed the Parliament, when he became MP and found a distant relative (daughter of his grandfather’s second wife) employed from the tenure of previous MP Winston Peters. He said he was told by Parliament that due to the distance of the relationship, it was alright. The person is a part-time employee .

Fixin T&T,  however, claimed the UNC MPs breached the Integrity in Public Life Act as it relates to, among others, Sections 24 (2), and 29 (1). (c bx)

The organisation said it was “troubled and utterly confused” by Persad-Bissessar’s response. “Surely the Opposition Leader understands the definition of the word ‘relative’.  As a learned senior counsel, she must fully appreciate that ignorance of the law/rules isn’t a defence.”
“Her as well as MP Padarath's suggestion that the monies paid to said relatives can simply be repaid, is insulting..... “

Fixin T&T was supported by the ILP—which said Persad-Bissessar and Padarath’s explanations were “weak” and demanded they  resign—and the ruling PNM which repeated PNM chairman Franklin Khan’s call for Persad-Bissessar to resign. However, Rambachan, calling on the Clerk of the House to shed light on the matter, said facts on the hiring issue are being distorted.  

Noting the difference between guidelines for the past 2010-2015 Parliamentary term and the  current 2015-2020  term, he said, “The question arises—who changed the guidelines. Were the guidelines formally communicated to MPs or was the manual simply distributed to Parliamentarians without specific communications on the changes. “

“Was this the responsibility of the Clerk of the House? Were these guidelines supposed to be agreed upon by the House Committee? Were these guidelines changed by the Clerk of the House or the new Speaker, or were they changed by the Clerk of the House without reference either to the former or new Speaker in the interregnum between the time the tenth Parliament was prorogued and the Eleventh Parliament began? “

He added, “What powers does the Clerk of the House have with respect to the regulation of Constituency Offices and should the Clerk’s powers not be circumscribed by what the House Committee and/or the Parliament agree upon.”

“I wish to call upon the Clerk of the House to  provide clarity to the issue by responding as early as practicable to the advice sought by (Persad-Bissessar) and  to publish the names of all persons employed at Constituency Offices since the inception of such offices.

“I also call on her to clarify who changed the guidelines from family to relatives and to state the rationale for this change, to state unequivocally whether persons employed prior to the change in the 2015 guidelines are to be dismissed.”

Rambachan said the employees referred to in Persad-Bissessar’s case have been employed for 20 years and 14 years.

“Have these employees been unfairly prejudiced in their right to continuous employment by an arbitrary change in the guidelines after continuous employment up to 20 years and 14 years.”

Twenty one students are to be removed from the El Dorado East Secondary School and sent to the Couva Learning Enhancement Centre by the end of this week. Education Minister Anthony Garcia confirmed this yesterday. He also signalled his intention to provide administrative support to the school’s principal to ensure it became a reality soon.

It was only last week Monday that officials of the Ministry of Education met with parents of students attending the school, who had been said to be exhibiting undesirable behaviours. School officials had listed 31 students from various forms believed to be engaged in deviant and disruptive acts which included drinking, gambling, smoking and taxing other students.

Although the 31 parents were invited to the meeting, only 13 turned up to discuss their children’s welfare. During the Monday meeting, Garcia promised each case would be assessed individually and a final decision would be taken before the term ended.

Pressed to reveal the details of a meeting held on Thursday last with district school supervisors, as well as the school’s guidance counsellors and teachers, Garcia said it was decided that ten students would “be rehabilitated within the school environment.”

The remaining 21 students were to be removed immediately and sent to one of the two enhancement learning centres where they will undergo counselling, remedial sessions and interactive therapy. Garcia said he was also awaiting a final report from the Chief Education Officer and the school supervisors which is expected to be received today.

Explaining the process to be employed from here on, Garcia said the first step was to issue suspension letters to the students. Returning from a weekend meeting in Grenada yesterday, Garcia said, “I am hoping the letters went out to the parents while I was away.” School principals are only permitted to suspend students for a maximum of seven days, and can apply to the ministry for an extension, depending on the severity of the offence.

Revealing that the school principal had “done this,” Garcia went on, “I have already indicated that I will give the approval for the extended suspension.” As a result, the 21 students will be removed from the school system as soon as possible.

Regarding the cause of a fire at the school last Thursday, Garcia said they were still awaiting the findings from fire officials. He stressed that only when the findings were received, would officials determine if a police investigation was necessary.

Garcia added, “It is our suspicion that the perpetrators of that act are among the 21 students to be removed.” Fire officials were called to the school at Karamath Street, El Dorado, around 1.30 pm, on March 18, after smoke was seen coming from a classroom on the third floor. Unable to gain access to Classroom 41, fire officers were forced to cut the lock on an adjoining classroom.

Garcia yesterday confirmed that fire had been set to the ceiling of the classroom. Bringing the blaze under control quickly, officers were able to minimise the damage and no injuries were reported. However, two classrooms were subsequently damaged by the fire and water. On Friday, the Ministry of Education advised Forms One to Four students occupying Block E, to remain at home as clean-up operations were carried out. School is expected to reopen as normal today.

TTUTA concerned
Extremely concerned about the situation at the El Dorado East Secondary School, president of the T&T Unified Teachers Association (TTUTA) Devanand Sinanan urged everyone involved to think carefully before assigning blame. Speaking yesterday, Sinanan said, “We don’t know who the perpetrators are and we cannot pass judgment without having proof.”

Calling for a police investigation to determine the culprits, Sinanan said, “Let the law take its course.” He said if it turned out to be a question of student indiscipline, the police should be called in.

Asked if TTUTA had been asked to intervene on behalf of their members who may be scared or apprehensive about entering a classroom with any of the alleged perpetrators, Sinanan said no, but he assured that they were ready to respond to any request for assistance.

This new method of removing students to be rehabilitated external to the school was first employed on February 22, at the Chaguanas North Secondary School. Approximately 24 students were removed less than one week after school officials were alerted about plans to carry out a gun attack at the school.

Classes were abruptly suspended on February 19, after information surfaced that gunmen were planning to attack a teacher, students and security personnel. A 17-year-old Form Five student subsequently pleaded guilty to using threatening language to inflict grievous bodily harm against his Geography teacher. He was later granted bail in the amount of $10,000 when he appeared in court.

Asked to provide an update on the situation during a press conference at the ministry last Monday, chief education officer Harrilal Seecharan said ten of the 24 students had reported for the rehabilitative session on March 14.

It was later explained that the ministry only had authority over students who were 16 years and under, and that they were dependent on the parents of older students to ensure that they participated in the rehabilitative programme.

Two senior nurses at the Women’s Hospital in Mount Hope are currently under investigation and are expected to face disciplinary action in connection with the body of a premature baby that went “missing” last Monday and is believed to have been given to a funeral home, unknown to the baby’s parents, for incineration.

This was disclosed to the T&T Guardian by Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh. He said he has investigated the matter and found that the nurses “behaved in an abhorrent manner.” Deyalsingh added that he had asked the union, the T&T Registered Nurses Association (TTRNA) and Civil Service to have the incident with the nurses examined and disciplined.

However, a major question that surrounds this incident is “Who is going to take responsibility for this and accountability and who is going to face the consequences for their actions?”

This question was posed by a senior official at the Women’s Hospital in Mount Hope to the T&T Guardian. According to information received, the baby’s mother, who is 35 years old and lives in San Juan, gave birth to the premature baby last Monday morning, and was not allowed to see the baby, who was stillborn.

It is alleged that when the young mother enquired about her baby, she was allegedly told by a senior nurse that the baby was “somewhere around.” Speaking with the T&T Guardian, the mother, who was very distraught and breaking down in tears at intervals during the interview, described her experience as horrible.

The mother, who wished not to be identified, said she was five months pregnant when her water bag burst on Monday morning.

“I was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. I was in excruciating pain and when I got there they had to remove a stitch and the manner in which it was removed was horrible. I then told the Nigerian doctor that the baby was coming but she did not take me on and kept writing up her report and kept asking me questions that I thought should have already been on my file. I am in all this pain and still it seems that she did not care,” the mother said.

“All I am asking is that doctors and nurses be a little more compassionate to mothers. It’s your job but we, mothers go through a lot and compassion and kindness do something for us when we are in this state,” she added.

“In the end, because of our Muslim faith, we believe in burial and not burning, and all I wanted  was to do the right thing for my baby in having my baby’s last rites done in the way I believe in,” she said.

A senior official has confirmed the incident and added that specific instructions were given to the senior nurse and matron to have the baby refrigerated until the baby’s parents were met with. The official added that the directive was not adhered too. T&T Guardian understands that on Monday when the senior official asked for the baby’s body, the official was allegedly told that the baby’s body was nowhere to be found.

When contacted for comment, Director of the Chief of Staff at the Women’s Hospital Dr Karen Sohan confirmed the incident and added that cases such as this reflect a pitfall in T&T’s health and public systems. 

“There is no accountability. Each person must appreciate that there are consequences for actions,” Sohan said.

“It appears that there are those who believe that their seniority or the office they hold give them certain privileges. At the end of the day, as healthcare providers we are here to ensure that our patients receive the best care,” Sohan said.

She admitted that one of the main complaints from the public is the lack of empathy among some of the healthcare providers and said that there must be zero tolerance for this.

Sohan said her main concern is the emotional well-being of the couple who have lost their baby. By extension she said, other couples. “We must not lose sight that whether a baby is a dot, a few centimetres or full-term, there is a deep emotional attachment. How we treat patients in such difficult circumstances aid in their healing process.”

When Desiree Blackman, 32, of Embacadere, San Fernando, lost her job as an administration clerk at ArcelorMittal, her 70-year-old father, Horace, became the family’s sole breadwinner. And this is what is grieving her the most. “When I got the first lay-off in December, he took over all the responsibilities of the house. 

“I always felt I had a responsibility to take care of my elderly father, not the other way around. 

“Dad worked in the machine shop in Petrotrin and took great care of his six children when we were younger. I had plans to make life more comfortable for him as he got older. It hurts me to know I can’t help anymore.”

She lives in a Housing Development Corporation apartment at Embacadere with her father and a 17-year-old nephew, and pays a mortgage. 

“We took over the responsibility for my nephew after his mom died two years ago.”

Blackman said losing her job has been devastating but she is determined not to give in to sorrow and to find another job as quickly as possible to relieve her father. She said Horace, who retired from Petrotrin as a machine shop worker, “is getting old.” They live on the top floor of the apartment building and there are a lot of stairs to climb up and down from their home which is becoming difficult for him, she said.

“My father is strong, but how long will he have strength? Already he is complaining about his knee, foot and back.”

Blackman said she was permanently employed at ArcelorMittal and had big plans to move her dad out of the apartment building in Embacadere into their own home.

“We have a piece of land in St Croix, Princes Town, and I was planning to start our own house eventually so dad will not have to climb any more stairs.”

Blackman’s most pressing concern right now, however, is finding a job, any job. I am thinking of setting up my own online business. But if I get a job for even $2,000 a month, I will put my pride aside and take it to help out. We have bills to pay, things to do. I am not giving up.”

In the meantime, she is also busy sourcing jobs for her former ArcelorMittal colleagues who were terminated and providing emotional support for them. 

“Many are having a hard time. I know a single parent with kids who just finished building a house and has a big loan to pay.

“Another woman had a business while employed at ArcelorMittal but sold it to raise money for her sick child who needed surgery. She has nothing to fall back on now.”

“We have to encourage and support each other during this dark period,” Blackman, a shop steward with the Steel Workers Union, said.

“I tell them yesterday’s gone. This is something new and we must have hope. The company really took away a lot from us but we cannot carry our sorrow on and on.” 

Blackman said several of her colleagues have already sent out resumes and are awaiting responses. The union has also been sourcing jobs for members, she said. After a second lay-off, Blackman and 600 other workers were finally terminated by the international steel giant last week due to reduced global demand for its products.

Recalling the day she was told she was terminated, she said, “The union was called to a meeting with company officials. 

“We were previously told the meeting was to discuss the way forward and no one had any idea we were going to be terminated.

“They told us they were not appealing the court case we won and from that day they were terminating all the workers.

“I was shocked, hurt and disappointed. You plan your life around certain things. I cried many nights. I couldn’t eat, sleep for many days.” Blackman said she’s carrying her own burden as well as those of her colleagues.

“I wish I had a million dollars to give people to go home with.”

She called on “Trinidad and Tobago” to support workers who lost their jobs.

Asked if that included the Government, she replied, “Trinidad and Tobago. We have to be patriotic.”