Penny tells government: Pay workers on time in August

PNM Political Leader Pennelope Beckles speaks at a media conference as PNM senator Dr Amery Browne, left, and Port of Spain South/St Ann's West MP Stuart Young look on at the Office of the Opposition Leader, Charles Street, Port of Spain, on August 25. - Ayanna Kinsale

Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles is asking government to ensure that pensioners and workers are paid on time in August.

Speaking during a media conference at the Office of the Opposition Leader, Charles Street, Port of Spain, on August 25, Beckles said she and other PNM MPs had received complaints that pensioners and some daily-rated workers were getting their payments late.

“It is one thing to have sent home more than 30,000 people and another thing for the average people, the MTS worker, the daily-rated worker, those working in local government, pensioners, days later after the end of the month to be receiving their funds. You know how difficult it is for the average person to go to the bank and you have no money?”

She said it was almost the end of August and parents especially would be under pressure.

“We know very well that the average parent, some of them living basically day to day, week to week, and to go and not receive your salaries and not get any indication that you’re not going to get your salaries, because daily-rated workers were supposed to get paid last week, they were supposed to get paid on Friday (August 22), and they have not gotten paid.

"I am sure all ministers received their salaries on time and in the bank.”

She called on the Finance Ministry to ensure that salaries were paid on time.

Finance Minister Davendranath Tancoo, in response to WhatsApp questions from Newsday, said, “Ask the Opposition Leader for exact specifics. You may be surprised. I wouldn’t be.”

People, Social Development and Family Services Minister Vandana Mohit asked whether Beckles was referring to pensioners receiving the senior citizen’s grant or those receiving pensions from the National Insurance Board.

Rural development and local government minister Khadijah Ameen said there was an administrative hiccup that caused late payments in July which she had caught and resolved.

“I intervened and was able to sort it out. I sent out a release informing workers we had resolved the matter and they would be paid. That’s very old news. There should not be any repeat of that.”

Ameen said the level of desperation from the PNM was nauseating, given that they were recently in government.

“They are grasping at straws to create issues in the public domain to gain relevance. And it has become their habit to suddenly find a voice for things they were silent about, to nitpick at government initiatives when they made no efforts to solve these same problems, and to go out to the media with hysteria about situations that are purely non-existent.

"I feel sorry for some of those so-called (former) senior ministers, because they are searching for relevance.”