Former Police Commissioner, Gary Griffith has described the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Welfare Association as sell-outs, after they accepted what he described as government’s “disappointing 4% offer.”
In a social media statement on Saturday, Griffith said: “4%? The Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Welfare Association must have sold out. No other explanation makes sense.”
He said: “It is amazing that whenever PNM is in office, how easily they get certain institutions to cave in. As a previous Security Minister under a non-PNM Government, there was no way that (Anand) Ramesar and (Michael) Seales, as the then heads of the Welfare Association, would have accepted this slap in the face of every Officer; and rightly so.”
Griffith added: “This, by the way, was the same non-PNM Government that gave every officer a $1000 non-taxable, monthly stipend in their salary, which is almost 10% of the basic salary of most, and which they still acquire till today. I saw the wastage of the previous PNM administration which paid over 150 foreign used police retirees, as part of SAUTT, $150,000 a month, with little return.”
According to Griffith, he could replace the 150 salaries and instead give a stipend of $1000, to EVERY member of the twenty thousand strong protective services.
“A far better, and well deserved spend, on the hard working men and women of the Police, Defence Force, Prisons and Fire Services, who guarantee our safety and security, each and every day.”
“I packaged it and it was approved by the then Prime Minister, so I hope every member of the protective services and their family recall this contrast when the Election bell rings, and that they also recognise that this is leadership and good governance, which is in contrast to Keith Rowley and his disconnected PNM hierarchy being our biggest mistakes.”
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