Law and order under threat

The subdued police action was the start of a bad week for the trade union movement. While the Police Social and Welfare Association, the body that supported a day of “rest and reflection”, is technically not a trade union, it in fact acts like one. And, tellingly, it had, up until Monday, taken a line very similar to that of trade unions currently threatening to shut down the country over wages, wages which they did not aggressively call for under the PNM.

By the end of the week, however, it was one trade union in particular that was staging a coup, but not against the powers that be. Instead, the Public Service Association (PSA) staged a revolt against itself in disgraceful scenes that are a warning of the steady erosion of law and order in this country. Since the departure of former PSA president Jennifer Baptiste-Primus (who is now the PNM’s labour officer), the PSA has seen a series of crises which do not bode well for the trade union movement.

On Thursday, angry suspended executive members of the PSA staged a coup at a meeting of the PSA general council, momentarily claiming to oust controversial PSA president Watson Duke. Some members, served formal suspension letters, became their own judge, court and police force, deeming the letters “unlawful” and forcing their way onto private premises. The members did not seem to realise that when people are subject to unlawful conduct, there is a lawful system in place to deal with this, a system designed to ensure order. Instead, like hooligans, they forced their way into the meeting, taking things into their own hands. There were hired thugs, property was damaged, and an air of violence pervaded the PSA offices at Abercromby Street, mere blocks from the Red House.

You would expect responsible people to condemn what had taken place. Instead, we had the spectre of fellow trade unionists saying the events were “inevitable” and Duke — who has been the subject of criticism from some over his acceptance of the Government’s offer of five percent for state workers given tough economic times — had it coming. One trade unionist even called on PSA members to “take back” their union. That type of reaction was, in my mind, similar to the one we saw in 1990 when, as the capital burned, some politicians refused to condemn the violence. It also reminded me of the tone of another politician who, this month, made an audacious call to her constituents.

This month, Point Fortin residents protested the digging up of roads by WASA (presumably to repair critical water lines). While there was a plan for the roads to be paved, the “residents” took to the streets and protested, blocking roads, lighting fires, cutting off access and, thus endangering lives.

The MP for the area, Paula Gopee-Scoon, who has been the MP in the deeply PNM stronghold since 2007, said the area had been neglected (presumably not when the PNM was in power). Her response to the protests? She announced her whole-hearted and enthusiastic support, then promptly flew to Grenada on private business.

Email:abagoo@newsday.co.tt