PM
STANDS FIRM: As
trade unions threaten shutdown, Manning says:
We will not be blackmailed
Port Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
11 04 07
Several
trade unions representing thousands of public
workers are headed for a stand-off with
the Government today, as Prime Minister Patrick
Manning says his administration "will not
be blackmailed" into paying salaries and wages
workers are not entitled to.
Manning made the declaration yesterday as the
trade unions have declared today, October 30, as
the deadline for the settlement of all outstanding
collective agreement negotiations or else the nation
could face a major shutdown tomorrow.
"It's a clear threat by the trade unions
that attempts are being made to put the Government's
back against the wall and everybody knows that
this Government stands on what it believes to be
right," Manning said.
The leaders of the bargaining bodies, including
the Oilfield Workers' Trade Union (OWTU) and the
Public Services Association, were scheduled to
meet last evening in Port of Spain to discuss their
strategy if the negotiations are not concluded
today.
Asked
for the Government's response to unions' demands
at a media briefing on the People's National
Movement (PNM) manifesto at the Hilton Trinidad,
St Ann's, yesterday, Manning at first said, "What
page on the manifesto are you talking about?"
The
Express pressed for a comment and Manning said: "The
Government will not be blackmailed into doing
what it doesn't believe to be right
and the Government will continue to seek to give
to the workers what we believe to be a just wage
and a just pay."
In doing so, Manning said the union's threat was
clearly timed to coincide with the general election
on November 5.
"I would have much preferred if the trade
unions involved did not see .... the impending
elections as a means of trying to put the Government's
back to the wall to try and extract from it what
under normal circumstances it would not be able
to extract from it. That approach will not succeed," Manning
said.
The
trade unions involved represent thousands of
public sector workers including employees at
TSTT and T&TEC.
Contacted
for a response to Manning's comments yesterday,
OWTU president general Errol McLeod
said: "It was the same Prime Minister who,
on the 21st of September, said the negotiations
are going to be settled before the general election
and what we are demanding is nothing to which we
are not entitled."
McLeod
found Manning's statements to be "a
little bit threatening and highly uninformed and
inconsistent with previous statements he himself
would have made".
"We have until tomorrow to see what happens
and we will take things one day at a time thereafter," McLeod
said.
Story
by Juhel
Browne from Trinidad
Express
jbrowne@trinidadexpress.com
Trinidad
Express
Tuesday, October 30th 2007
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