Wade Mark: Manning hypocritical over Caroni

LEADER OF the Opposition in the Senate Wade Mark, has dubbed Prime Minister Patrick Manning a hypocrite over Caroni (1975) Limited, charging that since moving from Opposition to Government Manning had changed his tune on the controversy.

Mark was moving a motion on the adjournment of the Upper House on Tuesday evening when he declared: “The evil, insensitive PNM regime has taken a unilateral decision to close Caroni. The unilateral, ‘unconsultative’, dictatorial PNM regime has limited sugar production to 75,000 - 80,000 tonnes per year to be processed in Usine Ste Madeiline, while Brechin Castle is to be closed”. He then read out a 1999 address by Manning, then Leader of the Opposition, to the annual PNM Convention, recalling Manning saying: “The present (UNC)  government is proposing to get rid of Caroni (1975) Limited altogether. Sixty thousand citizens depend on Caroni for their survival. The social implications are too tremendous to contemplate. The PNM opposes this approach”.

Mark hit Manning, saying: “Now the Prime Minister is singing a different tune. What a hypocrite and a total disappointment!” He accused the Government of establishing its position by way of media advertisements and talk shows, instead of talking with sugar workers’ representatives. Mark added: “This is the first time the State has chosen not to negotiate with the majority union but to communicate through the media and at public meetings...It is laying the basis for social unrest and industrial instability in the country.”

Mark cautioned that Caroni was not just an industry but a way of life, and not just an industrial problem but a human problem. “Rahael is wreaking havoc. The land-grabbing has already started — their friends and family. Where’s the comprehensive plan for Caroni (1975) Limited, or is this just a plan to destroy the union?” Mark claimed that Minister of Public Administration Dr Lenny Saith had told sugar workers he wanted to break the UNC-aligned All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers Trade Union (ATSGWTU). At that, Saith rose to sternly retort: “I deny I have ever said such a thing to any sugar worker in this country.” An ebullient Mark confidently hit back: “I’ll bring the proof, the workers who were there.”

Recalling the government justifying the restructuring of Caroni because it had a $2 billion debt, Mark asked if the government would also close down WASA for its $10 billion debt. 
Noting the government wanted to allocate $500 million to CEPEP and even $36 million to bail out LIAT, Mark asked: “What about the 300,000 people relying directly or indirectly on Caroni? What about their children? What about the crime that will result from such closure? “We serve notice that the UNC will embark on a policy and strategy of non-cooperation inside and outside of Parliament. We’ll support no legislation brought to this Parliament until the PNM talks on Caroni”. Visiting from the Lower House, Minister of Agriculture John Rahael denied Mark’s charges.

Rahael said since 1978 many reports had concluded that Caroni needed to be restructured. “What we are doing is no different to what is in the reports.” Denying that government had ignored the sugar unions, Rahael said: “On Friday 28 June 2002, Ken Valley and I met the All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers Trade Union and outlined the government’s plan to restructure Caroni. “The president of the union signed that the minutes were accurate. We offered the union to fund a consultant at a cost of $100,000. We asked the union to submit any suggestions or proposals ... We talked about VSEP, industrial parks, housing parks and agricultural parks”. He said from June 2002 to January 2003 he had held many meetings with the ATSGWTU and the Employers’ Consultative Association (ECA). Rahael said the government had increased the proposed VSEP by amounts ranging from 30 percent to 50 percent of what retrenched workers were entitled.

He said: “We are creating entrepreneurs in Central Trinidad, moving cane-workers to become farmers, not just in cane but in food products, like citrus, rice and beef. They will have the first option to lease lands and become farmers in their own right.” Rahael said he had met many South and Central chambers of commerce, saying: “They are all very excited. I’m advising Senator Mark now he should invest in Central Trinidad.” Rahael envisioned: “Subdivide 3,300 acres of citrus into lots each of 12 acres of land — that will be 300 farmers! 6,000 acres for food production divided into 500 acre lots will give you 1,200 farmers. There’ll be a boom in Central Trinidad! We’ll increase production in agriculture. We are making people independent.” Mark interrupted: “But you are retrenching 10,000 workers!” Rahael continued, only to face more jibes from Mark. Lenny Saith admonished Mark: “Can I appeal to you can we have some decorum? This is not a fish market.” Mark continued: “10,000 people are going home. We are very emotional about this issue”.