The recent announcement by the PNM Government to close down the Tourism Development Company, without any consultation with the Recognized Majority Union representing those workers reflects a great amount of disrespect by the government for the livelihood of the affected employees and their union in a deteriorating economic and industrial relations climate. It is clearly a desperate decision taken in haste without a clear plan for the revival of the Tourism in Trinidad and Tobago.

The ‘come from behind’ apology of the Minister, Shamfa Cudjoe, is a case of too little, too late. If this is an example of the way the Government will be doing things in this environment then we are in for a very long and hard period of industrial and possible other instability in the country. The Unions are correct to suspend their participation from the Tripartite process under the circumstances and to resist this attempt by the Government to make workers pay for the economic and leadership crisis in the state enterprise sector.

Although promising to do so on the election platform over two years now, the Government has not moved with any alacrity to bring anyone to justice for the corruption and abuse in the former government or state enterprises sector. We have seen no one from the opposition benches or the former management of the state enterprise sector having any fear from the corruption accusations hanging over their heads because the Government is not pursing any initiatives that would suggest they intend to prosecute anyone. There has been no appointment of any special prosecutor, nothing.

When it is the government has been renting empty space from party financiers at millions of dollars of taxpayers’ money, there was never any haste to deal with those issues. Workers on the other hand are dealt with summarily as though it is they who are responsible for this crisis in the state enterprise sector and the wanton waste of state funds in corrupt practices. It seems that workers, with union representation or not, are an easy target for the Government.

The MSJ condemns this callous attitude of the government to workers in the state enterprise sector, and calls for the government to do the right thing and meet and treat with the workers’ representatives and follow proper industrial relations procedures. Additionally, the MSJ wants to see the government go after those responsible for abuse in office and that those persons be brought to justice. Workers must not be made to pay for a crisis not of their making.