Shutdown looms!!!!!

[*$kїđž!™]

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Shu ... 41193.html

Shutdown looms
After PM's silence, Roget:

By Renuka Singh
Story Created: Jul 13, 2011 at 11:43 PM ECT
Story Updated: Jul 13, 2011 at 11:43 PM ECT
THE countdown to a nation-wide shutdown has begun.
The joint trade union movement said a shutdown on an "unprecedented" scale will act as the "wake-up call" for the Government to remove the five per cent cap on wage negotiations.
That was the consensus coming out of the late-night joint trade union meeting at the Cipriani Labour College, Valsayn, on Tuesday.
Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU) leader Ancel Roget said the unions took offence to the "let's talk" stance adopted by Labour Minister Errol McLeod and Planning Minister Bhoe Tewarie.
Roget was surrounded by representatives of the country's major unions, including the Banking, Insurance and General Workers Union (BIGWU), Communications Workers Union (CWU), and Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union (SWWTU).
"We never abandoned discussions. We continue to have discussions at various bargaining tables, " Roget said.
Roget said he is in wage discussions with five State enterprises and no one is offering more than five per cent.
"All of them are saying to us that the Government, through the Ministry of Finance, has instructed them to not go beyond five per cent," he said.
Roget said they have had unsuccessful meetings with almost every other relevant Minister and refused to meet with anyone other than Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
He said the labour movement has been "ultra reasonable" and was now awaiting a follow-up meeting with the Prime Minister.
"We are calling on you as the Prime Minister to remove that five per cent cap," he said.
"We resolve to stand our ground and to ensure that that cap is removed before any type of dialogue would be entertained," he said.
Roget said the labour movement was betrayed and disrespected by the Prime Minister.
"And so we are going to shut the country down, without apology," he said.
Roget called on the citizenry to understand the reason for the shutdown.
"Somebody has to stop this Government in their tracks," he said.
He said if the Government attempted to stop the shutdown by an injunction or court order then it "would pay the political price".
The OWTU was expected to have its first meeting with the Minister of Energy, Kevin Ramnarine, yesterday, but it was cancelled at the last minute.
When contacted about the cancelled meeting yesterday, Roget said the joint trade union members took an official position not to meet with any Minister until this issue was resolved.

[mediahouse]

Shutdown
Looms

[salvation4U]

leh dem go ahead nah already...i duh no why dey not satisfied and be happy...

Psalm 22:26
The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.

[kurpal_v2]

SHUT IT TO FAK DOWN!!!!!!

[FullStop]

these union leaders are a bunch of idiots, when the public service starts working efficiently they could ask for more than 5% again, but as of now the ministry of finance will not allow them to negotiate for more than 5% as it can lead to higher levels of inflation...

[RIPEBREDFRUIT]

these union leaders are all greedy idiots.

their demands are unjustified..........

[rossi]

these union leaders are a bunch of idiots, when the public service starts working efficiently they could ask for more than 5% again, but as of now the ministry of finance will not allow them to negotiate for more than 5% as it can lead to higher levels of inflation...

I agree, they acting as if they don't know what's taking place worldwide. They really bias because when the people cried out about crime a few years ago, we all took the excuse that crime was worldwide.
5% isn't really much to talk about but at least they still got something in a time like this.
Their greedy mentality eh.....gimmih moarrrr!

[rodfarva]

right... a shutdown sounds good in this economy. Thats what we all need
and this will get the support of lazy people, not those fighting for the real cause

[S_2NR]

fire all of them and start over..majority of those public servants are a waste of time.

[rodfarva]

fire all of them and start over..

That makes NO sense.

majority of those public servants are a waste of time.

Not true at all.

[TRAE]

I say raise the 5% to the 10% they asking for an take away the benefits, because with all the benefits intact they would currently get way more than 10%

[~Vēġó~]

^^^true!!! plus the lil extra money may actually be spent back and then some into the economy.....thus stimulating further...I dunno about these things...

[S_2NR]

fire all of them and start over..

That makes NO sense.

majority of those public servants are a waste of time.

Not true at all.

so when i get poor service from a public servant, is my fault ent.

[rodfarva]

fire all of them and start over..

That makes NO sense.

majority of those public servants are a waste of time.

Not true at all.

so when i get poor service from a public servant, is my fault ent.

nope. But that still doesnt make the majority of them a waste of time.
I had more neutral and positive experiences with public servants than I've gotten negative.

[S_2NR]

im happy for you

[rodfarva]

thanks, Im happy for me too

[Country_Bookie]

Any of these unions protested in 2009 when we wasted hundreds of millions to host the Slummit of the Amerikkkas and the CHEWGUM?? Why they wasn’t protesting then and asking for a 40% increase then? Why wait till we in the middle of a recession with the Treasury empty to come with this sheit?

I say raise the 5% to the 10% they asking for an take away the benefits, because with all the benefits intact they would currently get way more than 10%

The dumba$$es doh realize that it have other benefits beside your base salary that people value as well. Instead of telling the gov’t that if they are to accept 5%, then these are the other benefits they want. The other benefits might be worth more than an additional 5% in salary for most of the staff at the lower pay grades.

[S_2NR]

slummit....chewgum....? men gettin rel creative

[nareshseep]

o fack ... double gonna be 5$ now...

(the doubles factor increases...btw what is the double factor ....Well its the ratio between your salary and the cost of a doubles)

[Bareback]

Give dey 10%!!!!

5% Guaranteed and 5% based on performance. Let's see how good our public service can perform before they head back to Roget saying de wok to hard. Not sure how showing up for work on time and taking 1.5 hours for lunch is hard work.

[Michael Knight...]

When the public service starts working efficiently they could ask for more than 5%

Exactly.

[~Vēġó~]

but in order to work efficiently it must be streamlined which in turn would mean laying off workers.....but that ain't gonna happen, so we're stuck with inefficiency.

[netsket]

why anisette doh shut he arse....he stab dem same union men in dey back when PNM was in govt....he didnt help dem and didnt say a word when he had the chance.

now he want everything!!!

[RIPEBREDFRUIT]

oh sure, these same public servants who cryiing out for more money, we dont have enough money for this and that, yet you seem to find money to pay $ 70.00 per person by sinking boat to go to a Redbull competition in chaguaramas.

[Gladiator]

Public servants are PSA.... OWTU wants the shutdown and they represent an entirely different set of workers (engineers, oil workers, technicians, tradesmen etc)

[Sanctifier]

fire all of them and start over..majority of those public servants are a waste of time.

public servants... Public servants' negotiations have been settled already.

This is about everyone else... ALL other Unions... (Oilfield & NP / T&TEC / Banks etc.)... Commercial & Retail sector... etc.

Police... Firemen... Prison Officers etc. also jumping on the bandwagon.

Remember the PM offered them her support while still in Opposition...

Be careful what you wish for... because sometimes it comes back to haunt you!

[hustla_ambition101]

Any of these unions protested in 2009 when we wasted hundreds of millions to host the Slummit of the Amerikkkas and the CHEWGUM?? Why they wasn’t protesting then and asking for a 40% increase then? Why wait till we in the middle of a recession with the Treasury empty to come with this sheit?

I say raise the 5% to the 10% they asking for an take away the benefits, because with all the benefits intact they would currently get way more than 10%

The dumba$$es doh realize that it have other benefits beside your base salary that people value as well. Instead of telling the gov’t that if they are to accept 5%, then these are the other benefits they want. The other benefits might be worth more than an additional 5% in salary for most of the staff at the lower pay grades.

OWTU had a protest, and PSA used to have lunchtime protests everyday

[nere]

why anisette doh shut he arse....he stab dem same union men in dey back when PNM was in govt....he didnt help dem and didnt say a word when he had the chance.

now he want everything!!!

sad thing he in the union for port of spain port and pt lisas and he fighting for pt lisas A WHOLE LOT MORE that port of spain.................

[hustla_ambition101]

fire all of them and start over..majority of those public servants are a waste of time.

public servants... Public servants' negotiations have been settled already.

This is about everyone else... ALL other Unions... (Oilfield & NP / T&TEC / Banks etc.)... Commercial & Retail sector... etc.

Police... Firemen... Prison Officers etc. also jumping on the bandwagon.

Remember the PM offered them her support while still in Opposition...

Be careful what you wish for... because sometimes it comes back to haunt you!

Ent, all of them was singing one love and cumbaya last year arm in arm. They all went to their membership and told them to vote PP and they will reap the benefits....

[Swisha]

buh allyuh eh hear d greatest? Watson Duke say if d govt offer anybody else more than 5% d PSA going to start back protesting to get d same