The NCC says applicants then have until 3 pm on Friday, January 13 to submit completed forms to the same office. Those forms must be accompanied by “the stipulated concession fees __ in cash, prior to occupation of the assigned booth” as well as valid food badges “issued by the Regional Corporation for the year 2017, prior to occupation of the assigned booth.” The NCC also made it clear that its board “reserves the right to refuse any application.”

“There is always the unexpected but we are not overly worried,” Francis said when contacted on Saturday by Newsday.

“We had a lot of sewer problems all over the place, some of them that were not carded for repairs but things happen and then you have to have contingency plans.

Treading lightly, he continued: “ I don’t want to go out and say that all schools will be opened, but we will be okay on Monday. We have concerns, but we are fairly confident that we will be looking good on the first day of school.” Francis went on to extend his best wishes for the new year to staff and students “as we continue partnering together to make our education system the beacon of development that it really should be.” Throughout the just concluded year , a number of parents and students from schools across the country, protested for one reason or the other against the Ministry of Education on matters related to the infrastructure of their respective schools.

Chief Secretary Orville London confirmed this during last week’s post Executive Council media briefing at the Administrative Complex, Calder Hall.

According to the Chief Secretary, upgrading the plant is necessary, as it is currently functioning “under capacity”.

London said funding was originally identified, which included connecting a number of homes in Scarborough and Environs to the treatment network. The project, he said, was “frustrated by another regime”, but it now has the go-ahead.

“We’re happy to say that this funding is now released, and that project, the refurbishment of the sewer treatment plant and the connection of the households in that area, (will take place),” London said.

The Chief Secretary revealed that the project is expected to begin within the next two months.

The Chief Secretary also assured a better water supply for 2017.

He also noted that Tobago’s water supply had improved since last year, according to the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA).

In 2015 and 2016, the island faced harsh dry seasons, which led to significant depletion of its surface water stores.

But Chief Secretary Orville London said he’s been updated by WASA, which is reporting improvement in water levels.

London said: “The situation at this point in time in 2017 according to the WASA officials is much better than it was at the same time in 2016.

The Hillsborough Dam is at 100 per cent capacity. The Courland area, which is where we have a lot of our problems, that is functioning better than it was last year…

and with the refurbishing London said the improvement doesn’t mean there won’t be supply challenges.

WASA has promised a better water supply system, further upgrading of wells across the island, the de-silting of the Hillsborough Dam and the desalination plant in south west Tobago, for which the Chief Secretary said a procurement process will be “finalised”.

Scouting was founded by Lord Baden Powell with the overarching goal of developing the character of young people.

It reached our shores in 1912 with the first scout troop being formed at Queen’s Royal College.

During the past 105 years, ScoutsTT has built a tradition of producing productive citizens by teaching the values of integrity, fitness, personal responsibility, self-reliance and duty.

They continue to create leaders of tomorrow through a non-formal, values- based program that offers young people from 7 to 19 years old, fun and challenging activities, unique experiences, everyday adventure and the chance to help others so that they can make a positive impact in communities.

“The message that Scouting conveys has been consistent and steadfast throughout the years.

There is no ambiguity or confusion about the qualities, values and ideals that Scouting stands for and imparts into the youth of our communities.

These values and ideals are resistant to the fickle winds of politics, fads and trendy notions that are constantly directed at our youth from a v ariety of sources.” said Roger Berkeley, National Scout Commissioner.

After all, I often tell myself, the keepers of my hard-earned cash should be accountable to me. In fact, I have developed the near neurotic habit of scrutinising my bank statements with diligent thoroughness, because so often there are hidden fees and even errors.

Take for example the transaction from one local bank to the other, which, as I have discovered, can net considerable profits to my bank. Did you also know that there is something called a “repair fee” which may be levied if there is an error in writing down the correct account number, even if that mistake was made by the bank teller? And that in a simple local cross-bank transfer a bank may claim a commission? And the customer has virtually no comeback? And of course, there are all those charges each time a customer uses a debit card. It is after all my money. Given that virtually all salaries are now paid through banks the customer is literally held up to ransom.

Are banks accountable? I see signs in Trinidad and Tobago of the very problems that led to the collapse of the economy in Ireland in 2008. Banks were allowed to profit as they wished.

Then came the crash. At that moment the Irish government was forced to bail out the banks and citizens are still footing the bill for this. Of course given the liquidity of banks in T&T here seems little possibility that the banks in Trinidad will ever need to be bailed out.

But this desire for profit against the odds even in times of recession is pretty much endemic.

There is a need to make money that dispenses with any idea of the rights of the customer or even fair play, even as the economy of the country remains uncertain.

And no one says a word.

The customer in Trinidad has few, if any rights. We still submit to the indignities of vigilant security guards who demand that we show a receipt for any large item including bottled water as we leave the cash desk, having visibly paid for our goods. And most of us say nothing.

We still continue to purchase items of clothing and household goods, knowing that we cannot return them and have our money refunded, even though this runs counter to all existing practice elsewhere in the world. Most establishments in Trinidad will quite openly tell their customers that there is no possibility of returning the item and getting their money back, and this is accepted.

The level of citizen awareness and knowledge of consumer rights is so low that we submit to every indignity.

Now that the economy is fragile and businesses are beginning to close and strikes that may cripple the economy loom, is there a possibility that we will become more vigilant? After all, the days of abundance seem to have ended.

We might well have to start counting pennies and may have to return to that ole time when we helped each other out.

It all boils down to something called social responsibility. That is an ideal that needs to be shared by institutions as well as by individuals.

Social responsibility could mean putting back some of those profits into the community in truly human ways. For example by initiating and funding an employment programme within the banking institutions themselves, for persons with disabilities.

In collective bargaining, the union reflects collective interest as the ensuing negotiations have to be for the benefit of employees as a group. Essential conditions to be satisfied in collective bargaining, include the existence of freedom of association and a labor law system.

Further, since the parties involved in collective bargaining interact daily with each other, negotiations have to reflect this and this should motivate the parties to resolve the issues.

Historically, collective bargaining has addressed equity issues such as a fair wage, working conditions and the equal distribution of wage increases to all.

Until recently, deliberations of efficiency, a key element of productivity were either not discussed, or given comparatively little significance.

In today’s economic environment both the private and public sector entities are forced to be less dependent on government, so they must pursue improvements in competitiveness.

Not only how the gains of improved performance are distributed but consideration of how to increase productivity is critical if pay increases are to be afforded without eating away profitability and threatening competitiveness.

The factors which have influenced pay increases through collective bargaining include enterprise profit, job evaluation, seniority, cost of living, manpower shortage or surplus, and the negotiating strength and skills of the parties. The ILO report indicates that performance measures such as productivity or profit related to groups or individuals have not featured prominently in collective bargaining.

Further, though wage rates negotiated through collective bargaining do reflect wage differentials based on skills, such differentials have not been geared to the encouragement of skills acquisition and application.

Employers as well as unions should be concerned to negotiate pay systems which are able to achieve strategic objectives; contain a variable component which can handle downturns in business and reduce labour costs; focused on productivity, quality, profit or whatever performance criteria are agreed upon; capable of improving remunerations of employees via enhanced performance; capable of decreasing the incidence of redundancies during times of recession or poor enterprise performance through a flexible component of pay; able to incentivise good performance through improved productivity without increasing labour costs to total costs, and able to entice and keep competent staff.

Globalisation means that wage increases through collective bargaining must have a wider range of criteria than has traditionally been the case.

Failure to achieve this could leave the employer without the financial capacity to adjust pay based on group or individual performance, as well as on skills acquisition and application.

The issues of crucial importance may not be the same in the case of both union and employees.

It is an essential principle of negotiation — indeed of human relations — that one’s style of negotiation may need to be adapted to the style of the other party.

The negotiator who adopts only one approach to negotiations can achieve success in some cases but experience adverse reaction in other cases.

Negotiations have to be an exercise with both sides walking towards each other, rather than away from each other. A key objective has to be a satisfactory agreement by the identification of common ground while also addressing the differences.

Counter proposals and conditions attached to concessions have to be understood. A wage increase as an additional cost has to be absorbed. Today it is advisable for unions to take the initiative to suggest methods of absorbing an increase. It is in everyone’s interest for a company to be profitable, competitive and survive.

Timely negotiation can maximise gains to workers, as in the present environment one wonders at the ability of Petrotrin to survive far less afford a dated pay increase.

The nature and the conditions necessary for successful collective bargaining involve an engagement of parties — the present economic environment being key to that engagement. There is no way to avoid that, we can only hope good sense prevails and there is, by both parties, continued walking in rather than out.

It could also mean pouring some of that considerable profit into training for employment for persons with disabilities.

We could add job coaches who would both mentor and liaise between individuals and employers.

Now there is a thought that might raise the financial sector’s profile! It might also temper the sense that all that is important is profit. After all people do matter.

Banks might also even consider providing special services for those whose eyesight might make it difficult to see numbers, or who through age or infirmity might make mistakes. This would go some way to reducing the incidents of errors from which they, the bankers, undoubtedly profit.

There would be fewer occasions when that “repair fee” needs to be applied.

Or again what about businesses in Trinidad banding together so that between them they might create just one job for a person with a disability? This would be in recognition of the fact that there are many individuals in the world who do things more slowly than the average person. But it would also recognise that to be slow does not mean an inability to work. What is more, it would reinforce the knowledge that persons with disabilities have skills that often go unrecognised.

The gift of empathy, for example, is found in abundance among people with Down syndrome.

Think how such a gift might add to customer comfort and good relations.

Of course all of this, if applied, may well mean that there will be reduced profits, but I can only think of the way we will all gain.

Brent crude oil is US$56.46. TT crude fetches a much lower price than the above.

Please keep these figures in mind. Why are trade unions not compatible to modern day work forces here in TT? Would you want to work for a company that treats all their workers exactly the same, no matter how hard they work? How about one that promotes only on the basis of seniority and not merit? Trade unions negotiates collectively.

The same contract covers every worker regardless of their productivity, effort or lack of. In TT today collective representation makes little or no sense.

Machines perform most of the repetitive manufacturing tasks of yesteryear. Effective employers engage employees with individual insights and abilities.

Union negotiated, seniority-based promotions and raises feel like chains to workers who want to progress.

Trade unions often engage in acts of physical destruction, example vandalism, which is against the TT Trade Union Act.

Under The Industrial Relations Act, TT trade unions have been allocated too much power. Whenever decisions are made in the Industrial Court, the verdicts are more often than not supportive of the union. Trade unions are supportive of their members regardless of them being right, wrong or indifferent.

Trade unions make it virtually impossible to lay off under-performing workers.

Trade unions are deficient and lack tact and strategy.

They engage in badjohn, bullying tactics against their own members who feel afraid to work and compelled to follow the masses. There have been instances of damage to company property. Trade unions protect and shield members who are grossly incompetent at their job functions.

Trade unions fit more comfortably into government workplaces rather than the private sector. While ordinary trade union members take sun, rain and consume rice and fry potato, executive members ride in fancy vehicles to exclusive, expensive destinations and ingest steak. Trade unions employ bullying tactics at their members workplace when their primary function is to work. Speaking loudly is not the way to go.

Empty vessels make the most noise. The trade union members seem very musically oriented.

There is a second career in the making.

Maybe oil sector workers should join the essential services.

There is no more panic buying at the gas stations. The union, company and government are all on the same side. This is like a wrestling rerun. A certain union threatened and promised to shut down a certain oil company on the 4th of January, 2017. Then they had a change of heart in their wisdom, or lack of, and they have allocated us the 9th of January, 2017.

They that hesitate are lost.You want to strike, go right ahead make our day.

How about from the 9th January 2017 to the 1st March, 2017 both days inclusive? This is not about anti- worker but anti-incompetence.

Trade unions are on the final furlong.

AV RAMPERSAD Princes Town

Therefore the company is well within its rights to offer to terminate “only” 25% of its staff.

After some negotiation, they can reduce it to 20%.

In that scenario, and given the dire financial straits in which the company finds itself (the reasons are not relevant here), Petrotrin workers should be thankful for the rather generous offer of 0-0-0.

They should be asked, would you rather lose your job or remain employed at your current high salary? I think many would be willing to take a 10% cut to retain their jobs.

If you doubt me, ask the ex-Arcelor- Mittal workers.

A CHARLES

All five films will be shown with English subtitles at the Learning Resource Centre (LRC), St Augustine Campus, University of the West Indies (UWI), starting at 9.30 am.

Admission is free and seating will be on a first come basis.

“The Place Promised in Our Early Days” is set in an alternate timeline in which post-World War II Japan has been divided and occupied by two rival powers. Three friends, Hiroki, Takuya and Sayuri, become fascinated by a gigantic yet mysterious tower that they see across the Tsugaru Strait, promising that one day they will build and fly an aircraft to the tower to unravel its mystery.

The other four films are “A Tale of Samurai Cooking”, “Drops of Heaven”, “Mourning Recipe” and “Ramen Samurai”.

Justice Justice James Aboud last week ordered that the HDC pay the outstanding monies owed to Gym Limited, for work done in accordance with the contract entered into with the HDC.

According to Gym Limited work on the houses at Lions Gate were completed in February 2013, and houses were allocated by the HDC but the company has yet to told when they will be paid.

The claim for payment was served on HDC’s corporate secretary in November of last year, and the housing corporation failed to respond, resulting in judgement being awarded to Gym Limited, in the sum of $2,443,341.60.

Gym Limited was represented by attorneys Abdel and Shabana Mohammed.

In its claim, Gym Limited, of 106 Battoo Avenue, Marabella, were contracted provide finishings for windows, doors, cupboards, prepare the staircases, fit ceiling tiles and take up and remove defective flooring tiles.

Gym Limited’s managing director Azad Mohammed in the claim noted that while work was being conducted, there was continuous vandalism on various sections of the Lions Gate development, and his company was instructed to do additional works which included supplying and installing locks, windows, and replacing ceiling tiles.

After the completion of the work and the variations, Gym Mohammed was informed that once the submitted evaluations were approved, the company would be paid.

This was done but the company did not receive any payment from the HDC and was forced to file its claim in the High Court.

Judgment in default which was approved by High Court Registrar Marissa Ramdass