For the second time since the project’s initiation in 2011, the sod was turned on Tuesday for the re-commissioning of construction of the highway with a ceremony held along the South Trunk Road near Dansteel Hardware. Rowley and Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan turned the sod in the middle of a fleet of Junior Sammy trucks.

In his feature address, Rowley sent a direct message to local contractors.

“Listen to me very carefully.

I notice the pricing excesses are still going on. The other day we asked for prices for a swimming pool in Laventille. The price came in at $21 million. We asked for something else to be done somewhere else. The price came in millions above reason. “I remember, I was in the Manning cabinet and Mr Manning had to justify why foreign contractors were playing such a big role in Trinidad and Tobago and the justification was that local contractors had made a career and culture of one; overpricing projects, two; not finishing them within budget and three; not finishing them on time.” Rowley said he does not intend to go down the road of using foreign contractors because he believes locals can do the job. “That is why we have broken up this project into a number of packages so as many local contractors can have an opportunity to bid.” He blamed the stalling of the project on the former People’s Partnership government’s decision to grant the contract for constructing the entire highway to “one corrupt Brazilian contractor.” The project stopped after contracting firm OAS Construtora declared bankruptcy in Brazil.

“(OAS) went bankrupt halfway and the bankruptcy was generated by arrests and jailing for corruption in Brazil. When they came to TT, they (OAS) were the sons and daughters of the Angel Gabriel,” Rowley said to a smattering of laughter.

He said nothing “galls” him more than to hear the Opposition clamour for transparency when they were not transparent in their dealings with OAS. “And they would not acknowledge that the week of the general election, one of them made an arrangement and deleted from the contract the clause which said the government could fire the contractor if the contractor becomes bankrupt.” The Prime Minister said this caused government some difficulty, but they were able to fire OAS and recover a bond of close to $1 billion which he believes the former government tried to “protect”, when they deleted that clause.

“And I know there are people in this country who don’t want to hear us talk about the last government,” Rowley said, “but we are going to talk about them every single day for the hurt that they have put on the people of Trinidad and Tobago!” Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan said the first package was granted to Junior Sammy Group of Companies to the tune of $95 million. The package, intended to take eight months to complete, entails work from Dumfries Road to the bridge at the beginning of Mosquito Creek.

Other packages for different segments of the highway which includes beginning work at the Point Fortin end of the highway will be rolled out over the next few months and construction will start simultaneously.

The file was submitted last week and Newsday understands that charges could be laid against at least two officers from Central Division. The police probe was initiated after an official police document outlining instructions for police exercises, prepared by head of Central Division Snr Supt Kenny McIntyre was posted on social media and WhatsApp.

The leak resulted in Snr Supt McIntyre having to reschedule some of the planned police exercises. The leak was discovered on Good Friday and Snr Supt McIntyre made an official report to the Professional Standards Bureau. This resulted in the cell phones of several officers of the Central Divison being seized.

Other officers were also interviewed.

Yeseterday, Snr Supt, McIntyre said when he discovered the leak of the police exercises he was flabbergasted and is eagerly awaiting the outcome of the DPP’s decision in this matter.

Lara, in a media release, stated, “in January of this year, Scott Anderson, aged 38, passed away after fighting illness for a little over a year.” Anderson, who was a Trinidad and Tobago golfer, was a friend of Lara. And the multiple batting record-holder, with the assistance of other members of the golfing fraternity, have decided to honour Anderson’s memory by hosting the event. “The important part, a apart from celebrating Scott’s memory, is that the proceeds from this event will go towards the establishment of the Scott Anderson Young Achievers Award,” mentioned the media release.

“This award will allow selected youngsters from less fortunate communities to be introduced to the sport of golf, as well as their lessons, transport and other related expenses will be funded for a period of one year.” For more information, call 680- 3384.

During a board meeting, the president is responsible for keeping the discussion on track and ensuring that the group follows the agenda.

To do this, he or she may have to take a firm stand. If an individual consistently goes off track, the president may need to assume a counselling role to rectify the situation.

It is the president’s responsibility to deal with performance problems.

The difficulty is in finding the balance between encouraging participation and discouraging performance problems. This balance will vary with each situation and with each board.

Other members of the board have a responsibility as well: to discourage unacceptable behaviour and to stick to agenda topics. Codes of Ethics or Codes of Conduct must be implemented with sanctions for breach.

Performance issues which are typical in a Board of directors are: lack of attendance, late arrival and going off the agenda. It may be appropriate to contact an outside resource person either to discuss particular problems or to help solve them. Most organisations can provide or recommend a resource person.

There are some important rules to remember when discussing a performance problem with a member of the Board. They are to:
• emphasise the situation rather than the individual;
• maintain a working relationship with the individual; and
• maintain the individual’s self-esteem.

Board members must accept their duty to each other, as well as the organisation and its members. When a Board member’s performance creates a problem, it is the responsibility of the whole board to deal with it. In many cases an unresolved concern or problematic behaviour can interfere with an otherwise well-functioning organisation. Performance problems should be dealt with as soon as they become apparent. Individuals must be made aware of their roles and the expectations of the group. If they fail to see the gravity of the problem, the group must be clear about expected behaviour and the result of not complying.

It is important to realise that Board self-evaluation provides a picture – a record at a given moment in Board history – of the way that the Board and its senior management perceive the Board’s operation at the time. As Board membership and employee’s makeup change, and as conditions and priorities shift, the resets also are likely to change.

The dated results of a selfevaluation process will provide a useful base for a subsequent look at Board’s performance. In many cases, the process will offer one of the Board’s few positive and reliable indicators of change and improvement. The recorded data have been captured as part of the record, and will be available for re-examination in the light of new data. Therefore, some Boards will find it useful to carry out the selfevaluation process on an annual basis.

In some cases, the Board will carry out the evaluation process itself, including the review and planning meetings. In other instances, it will want to involve an outsider facilitator to guide the process.

Often, the skilled facilitator can add more objective perspective than the insider, particularly if asked to analyse the data and prepare a report on the findings.

It is also worthwhile to involve a facilitator if the Board is still moving towards being an effective body. Perhaps directors have come together only recently or feel tensions that may need identifying and dealing with during the review process.

Feedback When discussing behaviour changes with a person who has performance problems, be sure that the person who initiates the discussion emphasises the situation, not the individual. The goal is to be supportive rather than confrontational. Here are some recommended steps to follow:
• state the issue in behavioural terms and clearly indicate the desired behaviour;
• ask the individual for his/her point of view;
• discuss any differences in opinion and ask the individual to suggest how they could address the issue; and
• summarise, record expectations and intended actions, and set a date for follow up The League continues its development thrust and several leadership strategies and developmental knowledge will be imparted to participants at its 17th Annual Regional Leadership Conference, in Panama City, from May 25-28.

creditunionleague@gmail.com

Bravo was speaking during an interview at Brian Lara’s residence at Lady Chancellor Hill, St Ann’s last Thursday, ahead of Friday’s exhibition T20 match at the Brian Lara Academy in Tarouba.

“I think the guys who are there deserve to be there,” said the 33-year-old Bravo.

“Those are the guys who are available for selection. They play in the domestic Four- Day competition. They have been playing well so it’s good to give them the opportunity.” The West Indies, under the captaincy of Jason Holder, lost a pair of three-Test series against Pakistan by 2-1 margins – away last October-November and at home in April- May.

“A lot of the senior guys have moved on,” continued the ex-WI One Day International (ODI) captain. “I’ve retired from Test cricket, (Darren) Sammy is retired, Chris Gayle as you can see is down in age.” Concerning the availability of the seasoned WI campaigners for Test duties, Bravo commented, “a lot of people are saying the senior players are no longer interested in playing for the West Indies. That is far from the truth. The fact is that we’re just not available to play in that format. So I think Jason and those guys, you’ve got to give them the opportunity to play as much as possible.

“I think, over the years, the shuffling of the team is its downfall so give them a good opportunity, give them a good run. Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

The test would come against the other teams so let’s not rush the brush.” Bravo has been involved with the Indian Premier League (IPL) since its inception in 2008. He played with Mumbai Indians (2008-2010), Chennai Super Kings (2011-2015) and Gujarat Lions (2016) but had to miss this year’s edition due to a hamstring injury he sustained during a stint in the Australian Big Bash League with Melbourne Renegades last December.

“My recovery is going good,” he admitted.

“It’s really hard work.

I’ve been doing therapy three times a day. It’s really tough. It’s a very serious injury but the surgery was successful I must say. I’m closer to playing than before, so that was a positive.” Bravo acknowledged, “missing the IPL is hurtful moreso, apart from my biggest pay-cheque, the fans (were) really looking forward to seeing me there again. I gave myself the best opportunity to play. I have to respect my body and trust my mind and my instincts. So I felt the time wasn’t right so I (came) back home to continue my rehab.

“I’ve’ been training every day at the Queen’s Park Oval, with the Queen’s Park cricket team. I follow the IPL, I follow the success of the guys – (Lendl) Simmons, (Kieron) Pollard, (Sunil) Narine, all the guys who are doing well. I keep in contact with them all the time so it’s good to see them doing well,” he ended.

With its revolutionary design of an infinity display with the most immersive edge-to-edge screen, latest security features of an iris scan and secure folders, long battery life, range of colours and 12MP rear and 8MP front cameras with voice control to capture life as it happens, the new 4G LTE-compatible Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 + smartphones were quite a hit with customers.

Leonardo Silva, product specialist, Samsung Electronics Latin America, was at the store for the launch and said, “bmobile has a great 4G mobile LTE network and we know that customers want to be on the fastest network, with the fastest device in the market today, so this makes bmobile a very strong strategic partner for Samsung. We love coming here because Trinidad and Tobago, which has a lot of Samsung lovers, is one of our favourite markets, and we look forward to continuing to work with bmobile to add to the high levels of customer satisfaction they already provide.” Chevon Wilson, TSTT’s VP of Mobile Services thanked bmobile’s customers for their continued support over the years and said, “We are very excited to give our customers first access to the advanced innovative features of the Galaxy S8 and S8+. Supported by the only mobile 4G LTE network in Trinidad and Tobago, our ultrafast speeds will empower the full features of the phones to deliver a fantastic user experience which captures life as it happens. bmobile is committed to the rollout of communications solutions and services that will enrich the lives of citizens and businesses. As we say, ‘Life Is On’ and we are thrilled to partner with Samsung to support our customers’ always-on lifestyle.” Silva explained that the Galaxy S8 with its 5.8- inch display and the S8+ with 6.2 inches, supported by Quad HD+, provide the largest, immersive, crystal clear, edge-to-edge display. “That’s very important because customers now have more work space to watch videos or multi-task using multi-windows. But we are really taking it to a new level because they may sound like large devices, but when you hold them in your hand you see how compact they are.” Silva added that besides the wow factor, the focus of the Galaxy S8/S8+ is on increasing the functionality and productivity of the phones for both professional and personal use, with the large storage size, new security, snap window and Samsung DeX features.

Snap window allows users to literally crop a piece of an application and pin it up at the top of the screen to watch while they keep working at the lower part of the screen, while Samsung DeX lets them connect their Galaxy S8/S8+ to a monitor, keyboard and mouse for a desktop experience powered by their phone to turn any place into a workplace. The 64GB phone storage provides the space needed for high definition pictures and documents, and the 256GB microSD slot provides even more storage to enjoy the music libraries that people carry around on phones.

Cliff Ross, Jonathon Sirjoo and Steve Edwards were among the visitors who shared in the day’s excitement. Sirjoo was most impressed with the combined speed of the S8 phone and bmobile’s 4G LTE network.

“I have an android phone, and it’s a good phone, but it’s now slowing down. This is where other phones tend to fall short. The S8 is sleek and light.

In addition, the speed of the S8 backed with the speed of the bmobile’s 4G LTE service are impressive and are going to make a big difference in how a person will maximize what he gets out of the phone. A phone can only do so much but when you add the bmobile’s 4G LTE service, you now have a phone that can really take you to the limits.” Ross liked the clarity of the S8’s screen while Edwards liked the S8’s sleek design, edge-to-edge screen and quick response time. “It’s a very beautiful phone, especially the full screen option where I can remove the home button to achieve a larger full screen.”

Persons who are commonly referred to as permanent employees are, however, employees whose contracts of employment carry no defined dates of termination and who are engaged under existing terms.

Additionally, there are those engaged under contracts for service who are independent contractors or selfemployed.

For the purposes of this article, I am dealing only with persons who are workers within the meaning of the Industrial Relations Act.

For the most part, when the term “contract worker” is used in our workplace society it usually refers to someone who is engaged on a fixedterm employment contract. Our industrial court is seldom concerned with the employment status of workers, but more so with the concept of continuous employment.

So, let us examine some widelyheld myths which may be the source of misdirection at the highest level of management.

Myth #1: The services of a contract worker can be terminated for any reason The correct position is that all workers, be they on fixed-term contracts or on permanent contracts, are protected by identical legal rights, particularly as this relates to the termination of the contract of employment as a result of disciplinary action. This means that an employer must treat with all workers in a fair and just manner and that where disciplinary action is contemplated it is implemented in a manner consistent with good industrial relations practices.

Accordingly, the same principles of progressive discipline must apply, particularly where it relates to concerns about the worker’s performance. Further, a contract worker would be entitled to Trade Union representation at any disciplinary proceeding where allegations of misconduct or poor performance are made against him.

Myth #2: Contract workers do not have the same rights to statutory or employment benefits as permanent workers The terms and conditions of a contract worker will be normally expressed in a written contract of employment. Accordingly, these may differ from those applicable to permanent employees. However, where there exists a collective agreement in operation between the employer and a recognized majority union, and a contract worker is engaged in a position in the bargaining unit, then the applicable terms contained in the collective agreement are usually expressed in the fixedterm contract. Where these are not expressed, then the general terms in the collective agreement will apply.

Our laws for example provide significant benefits to workers in this jurisdiction. These benefits apply regardless of the employment status of the worker. For example, the Minimum Wages Act is quite detailed and provides for a benchmark for wages and other benefits like vacation leave and sick leave. Further, all workers are entitled to National Insurance benefits subject to their contribution; and maternity benefits are mandated subject only to the completion of one continuous year of service.

This condition precedent is also applicable under the Retrenchment and Severance Benefit Act and is the only legislation that provides exceptions to the payment of a statutory benefit based on employment status. As an example, casual, seasonal or fixed-term employees are generally not entitled to severance benefits whether or not they have completed one continuous year of service. However, the onus would be on the employer to establish the true status of these persons. In such instances, our industrial court has repeatedly determined that it will not allow employers to mask the true status of a worker who has provided years of continuous service, but who may have been engaged on recurring and renewable fixed-term contracts of employment.

Myth #3: Contract workers cannot enjoy job security It is correct to say that workers on genuine fixed-term contracts of employment do not enjoy the same degree of job security as those with permanent status.

This is simple to understand as such employment arrangements are really intended to facilitate temporary project-type work as opposed to appointments to established positions in the organization structure. It is obvious, therefore, that upon completion of the project for which the employee was engaged, the contract would automatically terminate without liability to the employer. However, the case may be entirely different where, as is often the case, the worker was engaged to perform regular work in an established position. In this regard, the employer may find it difficult to simply rely on the contract having expired for refusing to offer the worker continuing employment. In such circumstances, the employer may be required to provide justification and show good reason why the worker’s contract was not renewed.

Making the right decision with respect to the employment status of workers is an important consideration in the management of an employer’s workforce. It is a worker’s responsibility to inform his/herself as to the rights, benefits and protection available under our laws. Conversely all employers are obligated to apply our laws as they were intended and particularly as interpreted in our jurisprudence.

I am convinced that in many instances and upon closer analysis of rights, entitlements, obligations and responsibilities, many employers will come to the realization that the practice of continuously renewing fixed-term contracts of employment provides little or no commercial advantage as opposed to offering contracts of permanent employment.

Benny, 16, and 13-year-old Flowers, fondly referred to as “little Ronaldo”, stood out amongst a group of 30 finalists from across the Caribbean who were put to the test by Manchester United academy coaches Mike Neary and William Miller.

Benny, who scored an instinctive half-line goal during the first of two scrimmages during the Flow Ultimate Football Experience final, said it’s a dream come true to visit his favourite club, Manchester United, and meet his favourite player, Spain’s Juan Mata, as well other stars such as France international Paul Pogba and Spain international Ander Herrera.

“It was at the start of the second half and I (quickly) spotted to goalkeeper off his line,” said the Belmont-born Trinidad and Tobago Under-17 footballer as he recalled the moment.

“After I scored Mike (Neary) came and congratulated me, and he gave me a wink. I knew from then I had made it, although it didn’t stop me from working.” Benny also said that Dwight Yorke, the Tobago- born Manchester United legend and ambassador, who he had met before for shooting tips during a training session with the TT U-17s, had reminded him on the day that he was representing Trinidad and Tobago in the Flow Ultimate Football Experience challenge.

Benny who dribbled his way to the top prize said he has also been weaving through all the attention over the past two weeks which included on-camera interviews.

Flowers, who, like Benny, wants to become a professional footballer, said, “The (Ultimate Football Experience) challenge was very difficult because there were other talented players but I played hard.”Both Benny and Flowers will enjoy a VIP experience, not limited to themselves but also a guardian and their respective club coach, at Old Trafford, Manchester United’s iconic stadium in Greater Manchester over a four-day period.

Rangers U-17 coach Everette “Rocket” Williams, who will accompany Benny and his uncle Kevin Villafana, said the visit will include touring the famous Manchester United museum, witnessing a training session under the Red Devils’ first team boss Jos? Mourinho and witness the club’s final English Premier League clash of the season against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Benny and his coach are both hoping he also gets a chance showcase his talent against Manchester United academy players, and experience a glimpse at life at one of the world’s most-recognised and symbolic athletic centres, the state-of-the-art Aon Training Complex.

Benny, who joined Rangers seven years ago from Trendsetter Hawks, a former club of his coach Williams, also represents St. Anthony’s College.

(ttproleague

Asked about the protest staged on Tuesday, after he spoke at the Fifth National Climate Outlook forum at the TT chamber of Industry and Commerce in Westmoorings yesterday, Hinds said, “I want to say today to the young people in Morvant/Laventille, there are so many opportunities for young people in Trinidad and Tobago and in the world.

“If you will only assume a life of discipline whether it is in the media, in the police service, whether it is in any profession of your choice with the support of the State. There are free primary, secondary and tertiary education, technology skills training in the vocational training, all these institutions are making it all available.” He said there is no citizen who does not have at his or her finger tips access to training, self growth and self improvement. Hinds indicated that there are opportunities available to the young people even if they did not do well, and finished their schooling at the primary and secondary school level.

He said young people should use their time wisely and seriously consider how they can make something of their life. “Even if it is as a tailor, a barber, as small business owner, whatever you do.

I heard them calling for jobs in their area and you see those words in their area, it troubled me because the jobs are not only available there, the jobs are available across TT.” Hinds said if young people of Laventille/Morvant including those who protested on Tuesday, would spend 40 or 50 percent of that time in self development, supporting and encouraging and making safe each rather than being a threat, “TT will be better off.” Speaking to Morvant and Laventille residents, the Laventille West MP said, “You are free to protest, but really where are we going? Where are you going? What do you plan to do tomorrow? How do you intend to earn your keep? What skills do you have? You want jobs? If someone came into the community and said they want six doctors today, could you put up your hand and say you can apply? Can you say you have the skill? That is the question.” Hinds said he was very concerned because for the past 20 years as a MP, he has spent time in these same communities encouraging young people, but a minority chooses to hang around, become dangerous and be used by others to do wrong.

In an essay titled “Motivate Yourself to Achieve Success” Hill says, that Einstein never attained great wealth in his lifetime, but could anyone say he was unsuccessful? Einstein reached the top of his profession and changed the world because he knew what he wanted to do and had a plan for achieving it! How many of us do our jobs and do it well consistently? I’ll go first: There are times when I have done a job that I could have probably done better but thought “it’s good enough”. Here’s the thing with dropping the bar in your life: once you start to drop in one area, you tend to transfer to other areas and before you know it, you’ve dropped your standard of operating across the board.

How many of us can truthfully say that when we set goals, we achieve what we set out to do? This is another area where I sometimes find myself accepting “good enough”. It’s not what I wanted but hey, it was better than where I was and so I feel satisfied. But am I really satisfied? I tell myself and others that I am, but in the stillness within, I know where I intended to go and am fully aware that I am not there yet.

So how do we truly attain and enjoy success on our own terms? We adopt a mindset of experimentation. What do I mean? First let’s nix the word expert. Inc.

columnist Mandy Antoniacci shared this story: “I was recently interviewed on a podcast that offers advice to budding entrepreneurs. One of the questions posed to me by the interviewer was, “what advice would you give to people looking to become thought leaders or experts in their field?” My immediate response was…

“remove the word expert from your vocabulary.” For me, referring to yourself as an ‘expert’ in any field assumes the position that you have reached your fullest potential. It implies you have attained a thrilling pinnacle in your career and that your thirst for knowledge in a particular subject has been quenched.” What if we simply replaced the term “expert” with “student”? Insight’s founder Justin Bariso says “When you’ve switched your focus from expert to student, instead of limiting yourself or becoming overly concerned with how you are viewed by others, your primary concern would be one of growth.” Mistakes would no longer be viewed as “failures”; rather, all mistakes would become “learning opportunities.” Microsoft’s CEO Satya Nadella has implemented this mindset at Microsoft: “Some people can call it rapid experimentation, but more importantly, we call it ‘hypothesis testing.’ Instead of saying, ‘I have an idea,’ what if you said, ‘I have a new hypothesis, let’s go test it, see if it’s valid … ask: how quickly can we validate it?’ And if it’s not valid, move on to the next one.” There’s no harm in claiming failure, if the hypothesis doesn’t work. It’s through a series of failures, a series of hypothesis testing, that we make progress.

So, whether you’re a CEO, an employee, entrepreneur, business leader, a parent, or a child, try it out today: decide on your goal and figure out a plan for achieving it. Put your plan into action immediately. Test the waters. Look and learn: figure out what’s working and what’s not working.

Put your all into it. Do this to the best of your ability.

Make changes. Go at it again from a different angle. This is your success we’re talking about. No one can determine how you’re going to measure it, but you will know when you get there.

Forget know it all instead become a learn it all! Consider the wise words of Bedros Keuilian – the fitness industry’s most trusted consultant: “You must never peak,” I know I never will. For me, it will be kaizen – constant and never-ending improvement – until my last breath.” Does every day feel like you’re trying to figure things out? Discover what’s preventing you from figuring out your own system for getting consistent and profitable results. Send an email to possibility2profit@gmail.com to get your FREE e-guide