Row over Rao

Her fiery contribution forced Gender Affairs Minister Joan Yuille-Williams to rise to refute allegations that Prime Minister Patrick Manning "had ridiculed and scoffed at" Minister Christine Sahadeo during a Cabinet meeting on the issue. But the Gender Affairs Minister faced a barrage of questions and accusations which she couldn’t answer.

"Did you support her?" challenged Robin Montano.

"What is your position on Rao? No support for Christine!" Wade Mark chimed in.

Sahadeo, who was in the Senate, busied herself writing and paid absolutely no attention to the controversy.

Seepersad-Bachan waded into the Government on the Rao issue, asking whether it was going to settle all 11 allegations of sexual harassment by paying each victim $200,000, plus spending $300,000 in legal fees.

She wondered how the female ministers could allow Sahadeo to be humiliated by Manning.

Seepersad-Bachan produced a letter from Doreen Patricia Khan (one of the women who were dismissed by Rao) and quoted liberally to support her case that the woman was subjected to derogatory treatment and bullying.

After telling Khan that if she "served him well, the sky is the limit," Rao demanded that she carry news on her colleagues to him on a regular basis. Seepersad said Khan, who was employed as a secretary, stated in the letter, "The threats started and I would be called into the office and be dressed down, the major complaint was that my coffee making and water carrying were untimely."

The letter also stated that Rao told Khan he was "in total control and held the ultimate power."

Seepersad-Bachan also quoted from a letter from industrial relations consultant Jewan R Singh on the issue of the dismissal of another secretary, Orchid Gajadhar. Singh, Seepersad said, strongly advised that the matter go to the Industrial Court.

In evaluating the case, Singh stated, "The absence of procedural fairness . . . dismissing Mrs Gajadhar without giving her an opportunity to say something in her defence will very likely cause the court to make an award for exemplary damages. Should Mrs Gajadhar pursue the question of ‘sexual advances’ by Mr Rao and should the court accept her version in this regard, then the award may be astronomical.

"On the other hand, if your company decides to pay the amount of $175,000 this will mean a worker whose salary was $4,500 per month with approximately one year service was awarded 39 months for her one year service. Any company coming to such a decision will be sending the wrong message to the industrial relations community and certainly not a state enterprise."

Singh also criticised the fact that Gajadhar’s letter of dismissal was delivered by security at her home at 8 pm. "Your company now finds itself in an awkward and embarrassing position. In my respectful opinion your chairman/CEO must accept full responsibility for this unfortunate situation," Singh concluded.

Making the same recommendation was Percy Cezair, who was fired as a result.

"My position to the company was to let the matter take its natural course (go to the court). However, it is my understanding that I was, without being informed or notified, replaced by another consultant," Cezair’s letter stated.

Seepersad-Bachan noted that more than $300,000 of taxpayers’ money was spent in legal fees to "pervert the course of justice" and pre-empt Rao from facing the court (by settling this matter out of court). But, she pointed out, the same Government had a serious problem with paying the legal fees of the Chief Justice.

"This sexual harassment and bullying in the workplace had destroyed every effort at the empowerment of our women, Madame Minister of Gender Affairs," Seepersad-Bachan thundered, to loud desk thumping support from both Independent and Opposition Senators.

She added that if the matter had gone to the Industrial Court and a guilty verdict given, it could have been referred to the DPP and the Integrity Commission.

Seepersad-Bachan said UNC women would be referring this matter to an international organisation and would be presenting a petition on the issue to the PNM women and to other women’s organisations, asking that they sign it.

She said Sahadeo, the lone PNM Cabinet Minister to stand up on the issue, should have gone the distance and resigned.

Seepersad-Bachan said Government had no interest in the welfare of women. She said Government was taking the women of this country back to the days of "Jean and Dinah" where they had to give sex for the "yankee dollar."

Under the constant jamming, Yuille -Williams intervened again to make it clear that she was not defending Rao.

"Are you going to fire him?" Montano asked.

"Obfuscation Joan!" he shouted, when she failed to answer.

"We move strongly in the area of gender policy." Yuille-Williams said, as the Opposition bench jeered and Independent senators smiled.