PM hit for pay rise | Local News

THE People’s National Movement (PNM) will not be in power after the next general elections and therefore the decision to accept the Salary Review Commission (SRC) report is aimed at ensuring that they will receive their pensions, a said Opposition MP Dr Roodal Moonilal.

Prime Minister Keith Rowley announced at a post-Cabinet press conference on Thursday that he would accept the 120th SRC report, which recommended pay rises for a wide range of civil servants, including himself, the president and the leader of the opposition.

“Today, he fills his plate before leaving. The consequence is that they will no longer have a job in a few months. They are no longer Prime Minister or Ministers, so it is not a salary increase; it’s for their pensions. When he leaves office in a few months, the Prime Minister will be left with a pension of $87,800 per month. Ministers will find themselves with pensions of more than $40,000 a month and they will not be able to find a job. No one will hire them to run a salon,” Moonilal said while speaking at a “Pavement” meeting of the United National Congress (UNC) on Thursday in Claxton Bay. The meeting attracted a large crowd who gathered on the sidewalk.

He pointed out that opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar had said a 4% increase in civil servants’ salaries was insufficient, while the government responded by saying there was no money and the country could not afford more.

He wondered where the money to finance salary increases and pensions now comes from.

The Rowley government claimed the country should wait for better times in 2027 with a Dragon gas deal, but the prime minister could not wait and wants his best time now, Moonilal said.

Kind Kamla

Moonilal said that during Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s tenure as Prime Minister, the Children’s Lives Fund was established and she contributed 10% of her salary to this fund, members of the government contributing 5% of their salary.

In contrast, he said Rowley had done nothing for the country but accepted a pay rise.

He said the Rowley government had mismanaged the economy and made the damaging decision to close the Petrotrin refinery.

The UNC, he said, will commission technical studies to reopen the refinery.

Moonilal said refining operations in Trinidad could be lucrative, pointing out that Guyana is the world leader in oil production and Suriname has gas for the next 50 years.

Criticizing government minister Camille Robinson-Regis for her comments about the opposition, Moonilal said UNC members are hard-working professionals who earn their income “inside and outside” of politics.

He added that there are many businessmen, consultants, lawyers and doctors at UNC who do not depend on the public treasury for their livelihood.

Moonilal said the Rowley government agreed to a pay rise while police officers were yet to receive their back pay and the former Petrotrin workers’ pension fund was in deficit.

He said the last time there was an increase in old age pension was during the Persad-Bissessar administration.

Insulting the CEPEP,

URP workers

Princes Town MP Barry Padarath also blasted the Prime Minister, saying he was accepting a pay rise while “spitting” in the face of CEPEP and URP workers, who received just $2 increase (in the minimum wage) in the budget.

Padarath said PNM constituencies, such as Laventille and Port of Spain South, continue to be in “destitution”, while their representatives will see their salaries increase.

He said each minister would receive a $12,000 increase, from $41,000 to $53,000. He also mentioned Port of Spain South MP Keith Scotland who had advised people to cycle to work and cook in coal pots.

He said government minister Faris Al-Rawi, whose family receives millions in rent, would also benefit from the increase, as would government MP Shamfa Cudjoe-Lewis, who had said the PNM was in charge.

Padarath urged the Prime Minister not to take a “cowardly” approach and implement the increases through a ministerial note from the Finance Minister, but to ensure that the SRC report is debated in Parliament and submitted to a vote.

He said the PNM A and B teams could vote, as well as some UNC members who said they would support the legislation put forward by the PNM.