Former Caroni workers ask Court for priority

Former daily-paid workers of Caroni Limited were yesterday granted leave by Justice Maureen Rajnauth-Lee for judicial review against Prime Minister Patrick Manning as PM and as Minister of Finance and head of Cabinet, challenging Government’s failure to give them priority access to Caroni lands.

The workers are asking for declaratory and other relief, including an order preventing the transfer of Caroni (1975) Limited’s assets. They are also asking the Court for an order saying that  the decision of Government as contained in the recent statement of PM Manning that the workers  would in fact not be given preference in accessing lands is, in the circumstances, unlawful. As an interim remedy, the workers are further asking the Court to appoint suitably qualified persons to investigate the whole question of the workers’ access to Caroni (1975) Limited’s lands and for these persons to report their findings to the Court. This new measure was introduced by the Judicial Review Act 2000.

The workers’ application was made through the Trinidad and Tobago Civil Rights Association (TTCRA). The workers were represented by a team of attorneys led by Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj SC and included attorneys Rikki Harnanan and Darrell Allahar. The workers’ main  complaint is about  Government’s  failure or refusal to take steps to ensure that they receive priority access to agricultural and residential lands, as had been promised to them when they were asked to accept the Voluntary Separation of Employment Plan (VSEP). Some 10,000 workers were made to accept the VSEP.

Yesterday’s leave was granted by Justice Rajnauth-Lee in the Port-of-Spain Fourth Civil Court to some 38 workers who had petitioned TTCRA to act on their behalf because of their economic circumstances. In the judicial review application filed by attorney Ravi Mungalsingh of Garnet Mungalsingh and Co, the workers also complained that notwithstanding several public statements and assurances made by ministers of Government before, during and since the VSEP process, no proper system has been put in place by Government or by the recently created Estate Management and Business Development Company to ensure that they be given priority access to the lands as promised. They also want an order from the Court directing the Government to take steps forthwith to ensure that they get what had been promised to them.