Newly elected president general of the National Trade Union Centre of T&T (NATUC) Watson Duke yesterday viewed Finance Minister Colm Imbert’s budget presentation as “primitive and punitive.”
Duke also stated that with the immediate price hike of diesel and premium at the pumps it will create “trouble on the horizon” for the Government.
Duke’s statement came hours after NATUC’s general secretary Michael Annisette sounded a warning to the Government that any decision to further decrease subsidies on fuel would affect the working class and lead to an “avalanche” of protests.
Duke said the spike in the increases was something to “protest over,” as he called on Joint Trade Union Movement president general Ancel Roget to join him in protest action.
Duke said he hoped that Roget is a man to his word
“He (Roget) said last year if the Prime Minister were to raise gas prices, then he would march. Gas prices had been raised. We are talking about my members, his members…the entire population is now faced with the choice of walking or riding. Taxi fares... every single thing is going to go up except your salary,” Duke said at a press conference at the Parliament building.
Duke said with this measure now being instituted, NATUC will first discuss the matter with its members this week and then hold a meeting with its federations.
“We will be convening a meeting soon to discuss how we deal with this as NATUC and we will be seeking a meeting jointly with FITUN ( Federation of Independent Trade Unions and NGOs) and JTUM (Joint Trade Union Movement.”
Calling on labour leaders to form a united front to improve the salaries of the working class, Duke said it was time citizens get back their purchasing power, which began to dip in 2014.
Duke did not see the cutting of the fuel subsidy as incentives to shift to cleaner and better fuel.
He said the move will no doubt put us back into a primitive condition.
“This is what this Government is about. Putting us back to the stone age and punishing us for no reason at all. What have we done? Why are we being punished like that? Is licks, after licks, after licks.”
Duke said NATUC had hoped for a budget where workers could have relaxed and be given some measure of ease and comfort.
“I categorise the budget as primitive and punitive. I use the word primitive because the budget is designed to take modern-day persons back to an era where they are forced to walk rather than drive their vehicles, given the sudden rise of gas and diesel.”
Duke said the budget will not stimulate the economy, but will stir the emotions of public servants and Tobagonians into anger.
“It creates mischief rather than solve problems,” he added.