Gonzales: Ditching contract posts will ruin Public Service

News Sean Douglas 2 Minutes Ago

Marvin Gonzales -

MARVIN Gonzales, Arouca/Lopinot MP, says the government risks wrecking the Public Service if it goes ahead with its plans to eliminate contract employment, as promised by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar at a Penal event on August 27.

The opposition chief whip alleged that Persad-Bissessar did not understand certain aspects of the Public Service, in his text to Newsday on August 28.

Gonzales said, "The honourable Prime Minister is being misled on a very important matter of governance in Trinidad and Tobago that will have serious consequences on the lives and livelihood of thousand of our citizens."

He explained that contract employment was created in the public service in order to bring in professionals and expertise that were not catered for under the approved structure of the service, or for temporary projects to be completed.

"For example: positions for ICT, AI, law, environmental management, etcetera, are positions not catered for under the Public Service and therefore the contract employment model will allow for the recruitment of these professionals to work in the Public Service."

He said, conversely, many of the existing positions in the public service were outdated, with job descriptions that were no longer in alignment with the needs of the service and by extension the country, such as a typist (and other posts) that had been overtaken by modern technology.

"To say that her government will now eliminate contract employment and fill vacant positions in the public service suggests a frightening misunderstanding of the the Public Service on the part of the honourable Prime Minister.

"Her statement, if it materialises, will cause widespread disruption to the Public Service and its ability to deliver public services to the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago."

Gonzales said the Persad-Bissessar's claim that eliminating contract posts would save money confirmed her woeful lack of understanding. He also viewed the statement as an admission and explanation of her government's firing of what he termed "over 30,000 workers" since assuming office.

Gonzales said, "The government is bankrupt and does not know how to manage the country.

"Her whimsical approach to policy formulation on serious issues will cause serious pain and hardship on the citizens in the coming years."