radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
Sending workers home will trigger more crime and poverty, Joint Trade Union Movement leader Ancel Roget warned as he continued mass mobilisation in San Fernando yesterday.
Speaking to San Fernando City Corporation workers at their Carib Street Complex, Roget said the Government was implementing austerity measures outlined by the International Monetary Fund IMF, which was causing hardship to citizens.
He revealed that an alternative to austerity plan titled Labour Economic Alternative Plan (LEAP) was submitted to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley and Finance Minister Colm Imbert since September 2016 but he claims the plan has been ignored by the Government because of pressure from the private sector.
Imbert contacted via WhatsApp yesterday on why the Government had not considered the union’s proposal, he responded: “It involved borrowing $5b to do more or less what is already being done. It will increase the public debt by $5b.”
Roget said the plan was developed by academic think tanks from the University of the West Indies as well as members of the progressive trade union movement, Roget said this will be a better alternative to mass retrenchment.
“Government thinks the only alternative is to send people home and we have provided an alternative to austerity measures. Workers must know there is an alternative,” Roget said, as workers applauded.
Calling on City Corporation workers to stand in defence of their families and communities, Roget said the time had come for workers all over T&T to unite.
Meanwhile, President General of the Contract and General Workers Trade Union Ainsley Modeste called on the workers to shed their red political clothes and walk in line with the “yellow army.” Yellow is the union’s colour and also that of the Opposition UNC, while red is the signature colour of the ruling PNM.
Modeste said negotiations remain outstanding and even though the collective agreement had expired since 2013 there have been no discussions about negotiations or retroactive payments.
He said five Cabinet members—Local Government Minister Kazim Hosein, Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi, Housing Minister Randall Mitchell and Senator Robert Le Hunte—came from San Fernando but they have not been successful in getting their issues addressed.
What is LEAP
The LEAP plan touted as an alternative to austerity, outlines a two-pronged approach to kick-starting the economy and halting economic downslide through mass expansion of food production ($1.2 billion), development of infrastructural projects ($1.5 billion), tourism and manufacturing projects ($1.5 billion) and expansion of energy products $1.5 billion).
It also recommends the establishment of an Industrial Development Fund and provision of $2 billion for the provision of low-interest loans ranging between one and five per cent to be made available to businesses aiming to generate or save foreign exchange.