Duke: Don’t vote PNM, show dissatisfaction with ‘wage freeze’

Duke made the statement at a press conference held to address the alleged wage freeze proposed by Finance Minister Colm Imbert.

The conference was held at the PSA’s headquarters on Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain.

“There is local government coming up and I am asking all workers to vote the PNM out of local Government.

Even if it is just to balance the power. Vote them out. Do not vote for them. Vote for anybody.

Vote for MSJ but do not vote the PNM. They have lost their mandate that came from the ground,” Duke said.

Duke first asked the media exactly what was said by Finance Minister Colm Imbert at the conference.

He was told the minister said, “Our only way forward is to fiscal consolidation, reducing subsidies and transfers.

Trying to cut back on expenditure on goods and services, wage restraint. I’ve already told the trade unions that from 2017 to 2020 our offer would be 0,0,0...” In response to which he said, “The news today would have caught us off guard we are totally surprised by the timing of the message given that Christmas is right around the corner....This certainly comes as a bitter pill to swallow.

Something that can be termed an obstacle in the way of public servants progress.” He said the association has been looking at Imbert’s behaviour for sometime. The association, he said, wrote to Imbert no more than 25 times and placed no more than 40 phone calls to his office, saying as well that Imbert never returned a call nor acceded to any requests for a meeting.

The alledged move he said would widen the gap that exists between the middle and upper classes in the country.

However, Imbert also held a press conference yesterday afternoon stating that it was not a wage freeze but rather a wage restraint.