Port of Spain City Corporation employees are being assured that they will be paid on time.
This comes after Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen dismissed claims that monthly salaries for civil servants would be delayed due to insufficient funds.
Citing a memo the Corporation’s CEO reportedly sent to the union, which is representing monthly-paid workers, Minister Ameen said there is no justification for withholding or threatening to withhold the salaries of public servants.
“There is absolutely no basis for any Corporation to threaten workers or to not pay workers. I don’t know on what assumption the CEO of Port of Spain Corporation went to make this memo, send this memo to the union. There was absolutely no consultation with the Ministry of Local Government, the Permanent Secretary, or myself.”
Minister Ameen added that the Ministry of Finance, on June 25th, confirmed that the funds were available for the payment of public officers’ salaries and other expenditure following the Mid-Year Budget Review.
“The Government of Trinidad and Tobago has released the monies for all public servants to be paid, and they ought to be paid on time. Port of Spain City Corporation is either misinformed or misinforming workers. I am in communication with the President of the PSA that represents these workers, and I will not tolerate any workers being victimised by Port of Spain under petty politics to be paid late. They have gotten the money. They have received the money to pay the public servants, and they must pay the workers on time.”
She called on city officials to get their priorities in order.
“It is also very ironic that the Mayor of Port of Spain is sending such a press release in the middle of his celebrations for the City Week that involves a lot of expenses around entertainment so while wining and dining yourself and your associates, you are telling workers that they will not get paid? We will not tolerate that.”