Following the uncompromising message to both the government and opposition from JUTM President Ancel Roget, two analysts been weighing up what it means.
Placing both political parties on notice that he was prepared to take action to improve the lot of his workers, Roget had called on the Government to inject some TT$5.7billion into the economy to provide job relief to workers suffering under the economic downturn. He suggested disbursement of $1.2billion for food production, $1.5 billion each for manufacturing for export, energy and infrastructure development.
Economist and former minister Mary King said Roget is making the same mistake as the Government in focussing only on capital.
“Can we be globally competitive in what we do by simply providing local jobs”, she asks.
“Less and less jobs per dollar invested are created as the imported technology becomes more and more automated? In other words, can we compete in the world market with other economies that create and continue to improve the technologies we have to import?”
“Simply allocating our limited capital to production enterprises leaves us less competitive and hence a country of lower income, lower living conditions”, King argues.
Political analyst Dr Bishnu Ragoonath says government must be more transparent in its dealings with workers, to remove any doubt as to their actions and the possible repercussions.
Roget had called on Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to reign in “errant” ministers and honour the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the PNM prior to the 2015 general election, adding that certain ministers were acting as “laws unto themselves” in not sticking to agreements.
The JTUM leader cited Finance Minister Colm Imbert’s decision to pay workers 50 per cent of outstanding back pay by the end of this month with the rest being offered in bonds, as one example.
Ragoonath said both men needed to thrash out the matter.
King meanwhile is arguing for modernised job market which “will allow this country to develop the required specialised skills via the establishment of the related R&D centres, as it immediately earns some foreign exchange.”
“A highly skilled workforce is a guarantee of sustainable employment, one that can survive creative destruction or trauma of the likes of Arcelor Mittal”, she said.