New MATT president: We won’t be a union

He was speaking yesterday following the biennial MATT elections held at the TSTT booth, Queen’s Park Oval, Port-of-Spain.

Asked by the media whether he would consider changing MATT to become a union Ramesar, a CCN TV6 producer and broadcast journalist, said he believes that would be “counterproductive”.

Other new executive members also pointed out that some members of the media already have a representative trade union.

The election was held simultaneously in Tobago and San Fernando via video conferencing. In Tobago TV6 reporter Elizabeth Williams called for the executive to have more meetings in Tobago, adding that this has been a problem in previous years. A similar call for decentralisation from Port-of-Spain to South and Central was also made by a San Fernando MATT member.

Ramesar in response promised that the second executive meeting would be held in Tobago and to also have meetings in South and Central. He also thanked the previous executive, led by Francesca Hawkins, for “stabilising the ship”.

Both Ramesar and newly elected vice president Joel Julien were elected unopposed. Julien, a Guardian senior reporter, told the media that he was disheartened that he was unopposed but was glad that the previous executive had reached out to Tobago; Patricia Nicholson, a CNMG news producer and reporter and one of two new floor members, is from Tobago.

A seven member executive was elected yesterday and will serve for a two year term.