Public servants restive

Trinidad (CMC):

Thousands of public servants took to the streets yesterday, crippling various government offices, as they continued their protest action against the decision of the five-month-old Trinidad and Tobago government not to increase the salaries paid to them.

The public workers, led by the Public Service Association (PSA), have already dismissed the offer of zero, zero and one per cent over the next three years, and yesterday accused the chief personnel officer (CPO) of not wanting to reach a settlement on the matter.

"It's rubbish. The CPO did not come prepared for discussions," said PSA President Watson Duke, who was flanked by leaders of several trade unions, including David Abdullah, a government-appointed senator and the president of the Federation of Independent Trade Union and Non-Government Organisations.

Gov't cannot meet demands

"She is not in a position to make a counter-proposal," said Duke, noting that the CPO wanted to restart negotiations on allowances rather than on the salary proposals submitted by the union.

The PSA said that it was a basic salary of TT$6,000 (US$1,000) for public servants, but the govern-ment has said that it cannot meet the demands.