So sorry for CEPEP workers

THE EDITOR: I was appalled to read of, and also to view, the dehumanising conditions under which CEPEP workers from this country had to live, while performing humanitarian service to Grenada on behalf of the government of Trinidad and Tobago. Although apologists for this shameful episode might respond by maligning those who complained, and they might explain that in the aftermath of a hurricane, better could not be done, I beg to disagree. Certainly, we have seen for ourselves on TV the flimsy tents flapping in the wind, and the bare cots resting on muddy ground. As one who has worked in the fields, and on many construction sites, I suffered to see the primitive conditions that my fellow citizens have been forced to endure. This episode clearly demonstrates that basic humanitarian concerns take second place to political expediency when political hacks are placed in decision making roles.

I believe that workers have a right to basic human conditions, regardless of their rank, and the first task of the CEPEP directors would have been to plan and build reasonable housing accommodation, and also arrange to maintain such shelters. Tents could have been used for a few days, pending construction of proper accommodation, but certainly not for two months, especially in a country that is infested by mosquitoes and continuously deluged by heavy rain. The ILO’s “Decent Work Agenda” makes it clear that the pursuit of work opportunities by the poor must be accompanied by guarantees of freedom, equity, security, and human dignity.  Tell me, sirs, are CEPEP workers free to have union representation? Small wonder that workers had to turn to the media. What security could they have when the only barrier to the elements were flapping sheets of plastic?  What human dignity is possible when a dozen big men had to share tattered tents and engage in communal bathing? What about the health effect of sleeping above a muddy floor?  It is situations like this one that make the vision of 2020 fade and diminish into nothingness, and suggest to all that we are rapidly returning to the bush like an abandoned estate.

The architects of this project must recognise that this initiative was a venture outside of TT, and the CEPEP workers were proud representatives of this country. Their public humiliation and neglect while in Grenada brings an indelible stain on this country’s reputation for compassion, and a sense of shame to the proud citizens of this land. I call on the directors and decision makers responsible for this bungling, to make amends and act with nobility, even at this late hour, by submitting their resignations immediately.

DAVID SUBRAN
Chaguanas