‘Government will not be bullied.’ Minister of Public Utilities Barry Padarath, made the statement regarding ongoing negotiations with the Communication Workers Union. Minister Padarath maintained while workers have a right to protest, government will not be pressured into decisions that could affect the company’s welfare.
“I have been lucid in that the government will not be backed into a corner, nor will we be bullied by the theatrics of the CWU in terms of any 10% on the table. I have made it abundantly clear that at no time, any 10% wage offer was ever offered to the CWU, and therefore, there’s no 10% wage offer on the table.”
Government is rejecting claims that a ten-percent wage increase was offered to TSTT workers, as negotiations with the Communication Workers Union continue.
Speaking exclusively on TTT’s morning show FOCUS, on Saturday, Minister of Public Utilities Barry Padarath says this was confirmed by TSTT’s Vice President and Acting CEO.
“I don’t think Trinidad and Tobago is unreasonable, and I don’t think that we are a society that does not pay attention to detail and pay attention to what is said to us. And therefore, the continued shifting of the goalpost makes one wonder, what is the motive of the CWU and the secretary general? I can say very clearly and categorically that I’ve been advised by the vice president of TSCT and the acting CEO, the current one, that no 10% wage negotiation offer was ever made. And therefore,one begs the question of why does the CWU president continue to go down this particular road?”
Minister Padarath says while workers and unions have a constitutional right to protest, the government will not allow industrial action to dictate the pace of TSTT’s operations.
He maintained that negotiations will continue through the established bargaining process.
“We have to think about tomorrow. And therefore, they can protest from now to like kingdom come. There is no 10% wage offer on the table. We will act in good faith in terms of returning to the bargaining table, to which there is a process. And the CWU and its members understand that there is a process to be followed.”
He further noted that the government will continue to engage the CWU at the bargaining table, while ensuring any agreement does not come at the expense of TSTT’s financial welfare.
“While they continue to represent workers, we will find ourselves at the bargaining table taking the necessary steps to ensure that workers are treated fairly. However, we will not take steps that are against the welfare of the company itself. And therefore, this morning, I say, while you’re within your right to call for the Oliver prime minister to intervene, I’m almost certain the prime minister is seeing through those smoke screens and mirrors and will not be caught up in those sort of semantics and theatrics of the CWU and their proxies, whether it’s Wayne Kublalsingh or any others, who only resurrect themselves from the cemetery when a UNC administration is in power.”