OWTU president general Ancil Roget is calling on government to pay all outstanding arrears owed to workers.
Roget made the statement at a news conference at the OWTU’s Paramount Building office in San Fernando on Friday.
It follows the Finance Minister Colm Imbert’s announcement that Trinidad and Tobago achieved a surplus of $1.98 billion at the end of April, instead of a projected deficit of $5.7 billion.
Roget wants Imbert to ensure some of that money is used to settle outstanding collective bargaining agreements with workers.
Government intends to pay increased wages to public servants with the revenue once agreed between the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO) and the respective trade unions.
However the CPO’s offer of zero-zero-zero-zero-one is not sitting well with the unions as Roget said they are not going to accept zero-zero-zero.
Roget also criticised statements by Energy Minister Stuart Young in the House on Monday about the now-defunct state oil company Petrotrin losing more money than it was earning.
He said Petrotrin imported crude oil at a cost of US$950 million per year, but Paria Fuel Trading Company is importing fuel at a cost of US$3.5 billion, as of January.
COMMENTS