UNC: 400 non-Trinis build PoS towers

“There are 400 Caricom nationals who are working there for minimum wage, and the Trinidadians who are skilled and semi-skilled have been sent home because they were working for $26 per hour.”

His charge came yesterday in the House of Representatives in a debate on the Pilotage (Amendment) Bill 2006 which allows Surinamese ship-pilots to work here.

“Is the Government aware of that?” he challenged. “They are posted all about the country living in substandard conditions, maybe in NHA (National Housing Authority) houses — I don’t know.”

In light of his revelation of the fate of TT nationals, he scoffed as he read the Bill’s explanatory note which said the Bill sought to remove “discriminatory provisions” against non-Commonwealth Caricom nationals.

Ramsaran questioned whether the Government was using the Bill for voter-padding, as he read out the Representation of the People Act which allows a Commonwealth citizen to vote after one year living in TT and a non-Commonwealth national to vote after five years here.

He asked whether the Government knows how many non-nationals of TT live in this country. “This is a frightening situation. When we are opening the doors to our Caricom nationals, I worry. I would like someone to tell me, to free my mind from fear that these people are not coming to this country to support a political party.”

He reiterated his earlier point that “every week” the Parliament debates Bills about the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).

“I am extremely worried.”

He feared that there are many people “hiding” throughout Trinidad and Tobago who might go to register as electors at the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC). “How many such people are there in Trinidad and Tobago? Are there thousands?.”

He alleged that the Bill was a piece of deceit by the Government whom he challenged to come to the House to give a full picture of the CSME and the movement of Caricom nationals. “Every week almost, this Government will come to this Parliament and try to get us to accept Caricom nationals to do certain jobs.”

He said recently Parliament had debated the Tourism Development Bill which sought to treat Caricom citizens like TT nationals. Ramsaran said this was the third occasion the Pilotage Bill is coming before Parliament, and said it was a “dangerous Bill” as it had been the last Bill ever brought by two MPs who had brought it to Parliament — former UNC Minister Jerlean John and former Minister of Works Franklin Khan. He jestingly told pilot Colm Imbert to be careful.

Recalling the fall of the former UNC government at the previous time of a vote on this Bill, he said former attorney-general Ramesh Maharaj had once “dissed” the UNC, to which House Speaker Barry Sinanan caused chuckles by asking whether “diss” is a parliamentrary word.

In reply Imbert said that whenever the Government brings serious Bills to Parliament, the Opposition will “ramble and roam all over the world” in reply.