2 months ago
9
Pennelope Beckles - OPPOSITION Leader Pennelope Beckles has questioned Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar's statements about government having no plans to reduce jobs in the public service, but reducing contract employment in the service.
Persad-Bissessar made those comments during an event in Penal on August 27.
Speaking with reporters after attending the funeral of former government minister Dr Lenny Saith in San Fernando on August 28, Beckles said, "We will have to wait and see.
"Like so many things, when you go to the catch phrase 'when UNC win, everybody win.'
"I don't think the CEPEP workers...the reforestation workers and, I mean, people recently at LSA (Land Settlement Agency), I don't think that they believed that in less than 100 days that they would all lose their jobs.
"If you are saying at this stage there would be no job losses when almost 35,000 people have already lost their jobs, I mean that's an interesting comment."
She questioned why Persad-Bissessar would even raise the issue of public servants keeping their jobs.
"I don't know why that was said."
Beckles wondered if Persad-Bissessar made that comment in response to a question from the media.
"But that means if you are going to try and make sure they (public servants) keep their jobs, that means something is happening."
Beckles disclosed. "I spoke to quite a few people who did not get paid as yet.
"Something is obviously amiss and I have heard that at least one of the banks...First Citizens Bank (FCB)...that's where some of the workers they have indicated they have gone there and they have not gotten salaries."
Beckles referred to a statement by Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo about the date of payment of salaries to a later date.
"Most people are accustomed to being paid around the 24th ...25th (of a month). They have now shifted it to the 27th and they actually put out a notice to that effect."
Beckles said, "Having so many people lost their jobs. We will wait to see."
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