PM: Cuban doctors coming next month

Prime Minister Patrick Manning promised an “influx” of Cuban doctors and nurses, some of whom he said were due to arrive next month. He was speaking at a post-Cabinet news briefing at Whitehall on Thursday.

Manning stressed that Government could not acquiesce to the demands of the doctors for more money because there were implications for the rest of the public service. “At the end of the day you might settle one and open a can of worms ... and we will find ourselves with a bill in the public sector that the country just simply cannot afford.” Government had a responsibility to protect the public purse and “not because there is a threat of industrial action in the health services.. Government is obliged to honour whatever request is made of it”, the Prime Minister stated..

Manning noted that both sides in the negotiations had dug their heels in and Government was looking to see whether “some other initiative” could be introduced in the matter to bring it to a successful conclusion. On the question of the Cuban doctors, Manning said there was an offer on the table that would lead to an “influx” of doctors and nurses (from Cuba). Though, he noted, in relation to the general requirements of the public sector, the number (of Cuban health personnel due to come to Trinidad) was small.

On the question of BWIA, Manning said if the airline went under, Government could enter into airlift arrangements with an appropriate carrier. “You do not need a national airline to do that,” he stressed. However, told that Minister Ken Valley had said that Government might consider resuming control of BWIA in order to make it viable, Manning said : “It is entirely possible. But if we are forced into a position where we have to resume control of BWIA, it would be a temporary measure.”

Told that Valley said there would always be a national airline, Manning said perhaps he (Valley) knew something he didn’t. Manning, who was also questioned about rising food prices, said he believed it was a “temporary phenomenon” caused by the war in Iraq. He said he felt prices would come back down after the war. Manning also announced that Government proposed to site the University of Trinidad and Tobago in Wallerfield “in collaboration with the light manufacturing industrial estate” which is also to be established. He said  the basic proposal for a University of Trinidad and Tobago had been developed and a draft Cabinet note would be brought next Thursday. He said Government hoped to start the University as early as the September 2004 academic year.

On the issue of Caroni, Agriculture Minister John Rahael revealed that Caroni has run out of money to pay salaries and other operating expenses and it would be returning to the Treasury for funds. Caroni workers have not been paid for the month of March. He said Government did not have a choice, it had to provide the money. On the VSEP issue, Rahael said Government would proceed to process the VSEP applications of the monthly paid workers. He noted that although over 5,000 daily-paid workers had accepted the VSEP,  the court injunction has prevented Government from taking any further action on the VSEP for this category of worker. Noting that workers were now agitating against the ATSGWTU for taking action to forestall the implementation of the VSEP package, Rahael said it was now up to the union to decide what it ought to do.

He said he was “saddened” that the union had taken a position which the majority of the workers — “who want the VSEP” — rigorously opposed. In response to a question, Rahael said Government did not plan to exercise its option to retrench at this stage. He said Government would just have to wait until the court matter is heard. The Minister stressed that Caroni workers stood to make a lot more money as entrepreneurs after their separation from the company, because the company would still need to purchase 300,000 tons of cane, in addition to what it currently buys from cane farmers.