The Industrial Court made the order in a 25-page judgement on Thursday last.

In their ruling, Industrial Court judges Kathleen George-Marcelle and Janice Christopher-Nicholls agreed with the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU), that the company had not followed the proper process when it forced Richard Ramjattan to retire in June 2012. The court held that the company failed to find an alternative position for Ramjattan, based its decision on a medical report that was not comprehensive and failed to consult with the worker before it made its decision.

Christopher-Nicholls held that TTEC appeared to have disregarded Ramjattan’s 19 years of service to the company and treated him in a less than humane manner.

While Ramjattan was seeking over $3.8 million in damages for his loss of earnings inclusive of potential overtime, the court agreed to the reduced figure of $1 million.

Ramjattan began working as a driver with the commission from 1993. In February 2011, he suffered a chest injury during a cricket game which induced a heart attack.

He was forced to take 44 days sick leave before he returned to work to resume his duties.

Later that year, he wrote to the company’s management suggesting that he be transferred to a job in the office to limit the possibility of him suffering another attack while in the field.

“It would be preferable for it to happen in a chair rather than behind a steering wheel with other lives at stake,” Ramjattan said in the letter.

Ramjattan was instructed to visit the company’s doctor Dr Tennyson Sieunarine for a medical assessment and after told he had to retire.

He agreed and received a lump sum payment of $220,839.60 and a monthly pension of $2,822.73.

Ramjattan sought the assistance of the union in June 2013 after he tried to apply to the National Insurance Board for a disability grant and was told that he could not qualify for the grant.

The union was represented by Lyndon Leu.

The 25-year-old Valencia man is expected to appear before an Arima Magistrate today charged with the offence. Additionally the DPP also gave instruction to release a 32-year-old man who was also detained in connection with the double murder.

Two people — 24-year-old man and a 54-year-old relative of Mohammed — were already charged with the double murder and have appeared before an Arima Magistrate.

On June 28, Mohammed and Subar was found bound and gagged, with their throats slit, at Mohammed’s home on Ajim Baksh Street.

The discovery of the two bodies was made by Mohammed’s husband.

She is one of four national winners and the only winner from Tobago.

Douglas and the other national winners were honoured at the Ministry of Tourism’s 2017 Junior Minister of Tourism Competition and Awards ceremony on July 12, at the Government Plaza Auditorium, Richmond Street in Port of Spain.

“I was really surprised and happy to win a national award,” Douglas stated in a media release.

“I just wrote about how tourism adds value to my family and what we can do to help tourism and protect the environment in Tobago.” Douglas continues in the CTO writing competition as one of three international finalists for her category, the other finalists hailing from St Eustatius and Montserrat. In total, only 12 international finalists were selected from the 28 CTO member countries.

“We are so proud of Alexis,” said Tobago International Academy president Laura Cotton. “To be the only winner from Tobago and one of only two from TT to be selected as an international finalist is amazing.” Alexis’ mother Kerry-Ann Douglas expressed special appreciation to Alexis’ teacher, Hamilton Davis. “We are both honoured and humbled. This really couldn’t have been possible had it not been for Tobago International Academy and the dedication of Mr Davis and his unwavering faith in Alexis.” The CTO will announce the final winners of the international writing competition soon. International winners will be presented with a special certificate of recognition from the CTO and honoured with an all-expenses paid trip to attend and participate in special activities at a major CTO conference in 2017.

For more info about the CTO writing competition: http:// www.onecaribbean.org/primary- school-tourism-writing-competition.

So far, Garcia has done his part, completing a week of training and earning selection on the 19- man squad that will leave today for Guayaquil to take on Ecuador in an international friendly on Wednesday.

Garcia hails from a footballing family, as his younger brother Levi is a national winger who plays for AZ Alkmaar in the Dutch Eredivisie, while his eldest brother Daniel played with TT EC at the Pro League level. Another brother, Judah, is a member of Shiva Boys High School’s successful 2016 Secondary Schools Football League (SSFL) Premier Division champs and a national youth team player.

“It’s been a good week of preparation for us,” Garcia said, in an interview on the TT FA (TT Football Association) website. “The step up has been good. We’ve all worked hard and tried to follow the instructions of the coach.

“I’ve had a chance to be around the training before and now this is another opportunity for me to really make a good impression because I’d love to get a look for the World Cup qualifying games in September,” Garcia added.

“The current squad has a lot of local-based players so we are all trying to push for selection and take on board everything the coaches are passing on in the sessions. There’s a lot for us to absorb in these sessions and it’s really getting us in good shape for international football.

The level is different,” Garcia noted

Carter won heat six in 23.73 seconds, ahead of Benjamin Hockin of Paraguay in 23.93 and Artyom Kozlyuk of Uzbekistan in 24.20.

Despite winning his heat, Carter was 19th overall in the heats and did not advance as the top 16 qualified for the semi-finals.

Carter will compete in heat seven of the men’s 100m butterfly on Friday. The final of the event will be held on Saturday.

The residents of Jaggan Village are now pleading to anyone that could render assistance. Residents said that an estimated$1.7 million in damages was incurred.

Emily Sookraj, one of the villagers, told Newsday about how her entire world came crashing down on the heads of her family when a landslide claimed her home and two others on Saturday.

Sookraj said at about 12.30 pm on Saturday, heavy rain began falling in their village. The rain was so heavy that water slowly began seeping into their home on top a hill in the village. Two hours later, her house, which was fortified with steel beams and concrete gave way to tonnes of mud and silt, which slipped from the side of the mountain, into her home.

“I was in the kitchen when it happened,” Sookraj said. “All I heard was rumbling, and when I looked back, everything came down on us.” Mud, sand silt and sediment from the mountainside broke through the back wall of Sookraj’s home, along with two other families, and flooded its interior. Sookraj said, her youngest child, 31-yearold Suzanne Gomez was sleeping in her bedroom at the back of the house when the landslide came down. Newsday was told that the landslide pushed Gomez out of her bedroom, through a wall and into another room where she was almost buried under the mud and silt along with concrete from the wall.

Sookraj said that her daughter managed to climb through a crack in the wall at the far end of the house. She was later taken to hospital where she was treated for a damaged ligament in her foot.

Residents yesterday told Newsday that they have been working around the clock, trying to clear mud and sediment out of the damaged houses. Friends, relatives and neighbours in the village chipped in to conduct repairs to the damaged homes. Newsday was also told that MP of St Ann’s East Nyan Gatsby Dolly went to see the damage and promised the villagers that they would be supplied with mattresses and other items, however up to press time yesterday, the villagers complained that they hadn’t gotten the mattresses. Villagers were also promised a monthly grant of $2,500, so that they could find other lodgings. Villagers told Newsday that it may not be enough for the people who lost their homes to get back on their feet.

“Right now we need somewhere to sleep,” said one villager. “We cannot sleep here and we cannot live here. It is totally uninhabitable. The hill could come down on our heads at the slightest bit of rain. Yes, we were given a grant, but we still have to find a place to rent for that money, and after the three months we would have to fend for ourselves. If we are not able to pay the rent what will happen to us? We are not rich people. We cannot pay rent. Even if we get units to rent-to-own that would be better than what they are giving us now.” Minister of Works Rohan Sinanan was yesterday overseeing clean-up work in the aftermath of Saturday’s heavy rainfall. He told Newsday that up to 11.30 on Saturday night, the Ministry of Works were conducting clean-up exercises in areas like Haleland Park. He said that the reaction time for flooding in several areas were cut in half because equipment was placed in strategic positions were available to clean up in the aftermath of the flooding. Sinanan said that the flooding which was experienced in several parts of Northern Trinidad, including Port of Spain, was not a result of poor infrastructure, but because of the amount of rain that fell in a short period of time.

“There was nothing we could do about it save for cleaning up after,” Sinanan said. “The amount of rain that fell in a matter of hours was so much that the water courses could not take it.” He added that along with the amount of rain, the time it falls is also a factor. The two occasions that rain fell in Port of Spain causing flooding, it fell at the height of high tide causing water to rush to the vcapital.

Over 200 rivers under maintenance my ministry of works.

Sinanan suggested that run off traps be placed at several rivers to catch water during rainy reason then slowly allow the water to run off.

Some 20 close friends of Holder gathered at the Ariapita Avenue eatery on Friday night to share stories of their various and most hilarious memories of Holder. The only family members present were Maricel ‘Empress,’ Holder’s adopted sister and one of Holder’s cousins, Mark, who flew from the US with his three children to “enjoy myself” with Holder’s friends.

The gathering on Friday followed the cancellation of Holder’s funeral the day before at the St. Theresa R.C. Church in Woodbrook.

Speaking with Newsday before the reading of the eulogy, one of Holder’s best friends Sule Dyer said he’d felt frustrated since Thursday because “it didn’t have to come to this.” Dyer, who met Holder at an interview he had at Synergy TV ten years ago, said the entire situation made him feel sick.

A close friend of Holder and criminologist Renee Cummings expressed the necessity of eulogising Holder and said she felt “lost” and didn’t get the opportunity to receive “closure” due to the funeral being halted mid-service on Thursday. Cummings said, she, like the rest of Holder’s friends got “no closure” from the unfortunate situation.

Cummings added that when she got news of Holder’s death, everything inside her “got empty.” Throughout the reading of the eulogy, Holder was described as “larger than life, authentic and resilient.” Dyer, who read the eulogy, said he felt “blessed to have loved and been loved by her,” and that Holder taught him “How to value friendships.” Dyer called Holder a “risk taker” and, while reading the eulogy, broke down in tears and had to be consoled by those around him while reading the lines, “We did it all. But most importantly, we did it together.” Amidst all the stories told, it was clear that Holder was a woman of many characters. She was referred to as “teacher,” “goddess,” “the black girl with the blonde wig” and her most famous persona, “Third Eye.” Explaining the meaning behind the name Third Eye, Cummings said, “That third eye gave her a new level of insight. She never judged anyone.

All she saw was the beauty in a person.” Cummings added that the name Third Eye manifested physically as Holder often put a bindi in the centre of her forehead to represent her third eye.

“All she needed was that bindi on and she was ready to go!” Cummings said.

Fashion designer, Claudia Pegus said it was important that Holder’s life and death were celebrated. “Her spirit has gone home,” Pegus said, “I don’t think that we should be sad or cry because I think she is happy wherever she is.” A close friend of Holder, Cassie, who worked with Holder at Nigel R Khan Booksellers said that Holder “pulled the best out of everyone and forced you to be the best you.” In the final moments of farewell, Cummings added that “we need to develop the Carlet Holder Spirit Award to be given to a girl at Bishop Anstey High School who is the kind of girl to her friends That Carlet was to us. It’s not always about academics.” Dyer and Allison, a friend of Holder’s since they both attended Bishop Anstey Junior School, said that plans are afoot to launch a scholarship and mentorship programme in September called the Enhancement Carlet Holder Organisation (E CHO) in New York.

Allison said they also plan on celebrating Holder’s life on her birthday September 16 in her second home of New York.

Holder, who lost her battle to Lupus on July 15, exactly 10 years after the death of her own father, was cremated at Allen’s Funeral Home in Arima on Saturday last.

Clinical environments are highly pressurised and healthcare professionals are constantly having to deal with life and death, pain, despair and grief. They are also susceptible to other occupational stressors such as poor management practices; unkempt physical spaces; substandard or malfunctioning equipment; fear of culpability for negligence of care –all of which will impact on the quality and standard of service provided.

I have witnessed serious shortcomings at various clinical care institutions both in the UK and in Trinidad and Tobago, and staff have lamented that even though they raise concerns with senior management their voices go unheard.

This deep-seated frustration with the systemic failures and their sense of disillusionment is notable by the impact it has on their overall well-being. To quote a healthcare professional, “it’s a case of shut up and put up with the mess and hope and pray for the patients because if not it will drive me insane”. Another asked: “How can we be expected to deliver a first-class service in a third-rate environment and it not affect us.” The fact of the matter is that healthcare personnel are psychologically, emotionally and cognitively diverse and as such will have different reactions to situations.

But, working in an environment where there are processes which are counter-productive to health and healing (even amongst the most resilient person) will eventually impinge on their ability to deliver the level of service expected.

Let me share some of the challenges raised by the staff at Port of Spain General, San Fernando and Mt Hope Hospitals: Lack of mandatory tools of the trade – equipment malfunctioning due to lack of maintenance Poor communication –illegibility of referral letters and prescriptions, language and cultural barriers Inefficient procurement processes for acquiring equipment, supplies and stationary Inadequate human resources and consequential overwork Occupational safety and health violations – exposure to unsafe situations with risks to cross-infections, receiving abuse, threats and physical violence Working in physical spaces with vermin infestations, broken air-conditioning and unusable furniture Ineffective organisational practices – management failings, nepotism, interpersonal conflicts, lack of training and development, low morale, incompetence Unrealistic patient demands and expectations –hostility, emotional exhaustion Sub-standard records management system – patient documentation, test results, and images consistently being lost Breaches of confidentiality – fear of disclosure of their own health status From discussions with personnel who have been shouted at, rushed off their feet, feel undervalued, are mentally and physically exhausted and in some instances are in a job where there is a mismatch between their personality, skills and the role they perform, it is evident that not only do these issues affect the quality of their work, but they have a bearing on their health and wellness.

Studies in the UK found that 61 per cent of healthcare professionals expressed feelings of stress most of the time, and that they are also prone to increased levels of depression, anxiety, suicide, and have greater rates of substance misuse.

Such findings ought not to be overlooked because all employers have a duty of care for their staff, and if the work environment is not conducive to staff wellness it should be addressed because staff is the most valuable resource within an organisation.

In TT there is a culture of non-disclosure when it comes to mental health mainly due to stigma and discrimination, but the reality is that health care personnel work in environments with heightened occupational and psychosocial stressors that increases their chances of physical and psychological distress and the knock-on effect of not addressing those stressors is the potential for life-threatening clinical errors to occur.

If healthcare institutions are serious about adhering to quality assurance standards and fulfilling their duty of care to patients and employees, then the voices of the staff who wish to discuss the challenges they endure should be listened to. The benefits of having a motivated and empowered workforce should not be underestimated, so taking account of their concerns will be a step in the right direction that can invariably boost morale, improve communication, reduce absenteeism/presenteeism and lead to improved job outputs and outcomes – a win/win situation for all.

Dr Yansie Rolston FRSA is a UKbased disability and mental health specialist advisor. She is a social strategist and trainer who works internationally at various levels of government, business and civil society.

Contact her at yr@efficacyeva.com

Penny has done us proud but our history should not be interfered with. It may be better a new street is named in her honour.

Some commentators have already expressed dissatisfaction with the renaming of King George V Park to Nelson Mandela Park. And by the way, Massy Stores will always be referred to as Hi-Lo by me.

RICHARD LOBO Diego Martin

Simply put, according to the Consumer Protection and Safety Act (No 30 of 1985, amended), a consumer is somebody who legitimately pays for some kind of goods or services.

It is more than that. The pressure comes even before paying. The lack of courtesy and counter assistance is horrible. Take our paediatrician and columnist, Dr David Bratt who, having had several bad experiences with discourtesy, had this headline to his column: “Teach people how to treat the public.” (Guardian, July 11). He wrote: “ People do not realise that serving people is not slave work. Make life easier. This is our country.” Our country? Sometimes you think when you enter some stores, you entering enemy country. The sour face you meet over the counter, the flippant answers you get, all this not only turns you off, but is bad for the owner and business.

Of course, you never know how the sales clerks are being treated, their work conditions etc. But, really, on the face of it, courtesy to customers is the A.B.C. of good business. For one thing, it encourages people to return – good for business.

Faced with an ugly-mannered salesclerk, columnist Lennox Grant, vowed never to return there again, adding: “It’s my lonely and ultimately ineffectual way of responding to indifferent, insensitive, even hostile and ignorant service.” (Express, Dec. 8, 2016).

You see, during the last five years I have been compiling the various types of customers’ complaints. A lot has to do with cell-phone scams and consumer run-around. I think people should use the government Consumer Protection Division more. Where is it located? Do they have an office in San Fernando, Arima, Sangre Grande, Tobago — with easy access for distressed consumers? Well, to tell you the truth, I myself don’t know. In fact, Point Fortin resident, I. Edwards, in a letter to the editor, wrote: “I would like to know what the Consumer Affairs Division is doing about the steady increases in food prices. Have they noticed the prices in the supermarkets lately? All hard-working persons would have noticed. When the decrease in VAT was enforced, all prices again went up although there was supposed to be a decrease.” (Express, June 9).

Now, grocers will have answers ranging from forex to labour costs, etc. But as early as March 16 last year, Martin Daly, SC, challenged consumers to “hit business hard, in their pockets, where they would feel it when confronted with unscrupulous business practices.” Admitting the Consumer Division has “no teeth,” Trade and Industry Minister, Paula Gopee-Scoon said “a new National Consumer Policy was being developed.” (March 15, 2016).

Mobile phone, cable and TSTT rates and service are big issues for consumers now. Banks too. The Telecommunications Authority of Trinidad and Tobago (TATT) took exemplary action for consumers. In media advertisements, TATT stated: “Call 800-8288 if you remain dissatisfied with the outcome of a complaint you have lodged with your provider of any one of the following services: mobile, fixed line, internet, data, cable and satellite television.” (Newsday, June 29), Of course, one swallow does not a summer make, but here is another encouraging sign.

Last month, (June29) Ministry of finance Permanent Secretary, Vishnu Dhanpaul, publicly stated that it is “totally unacceptable” that so many government pensioners had to wait several years to get their pension. This kind of suffering at government counters is worse than just discourtesy. It is inhumane.

Earlier, 65-year old Viola Smith, noted that “People came as early as 3 a.m., lining up for a service number to get a birth certificate, waiting for hours, only to be turned back since only a limited number could be served.” (Express, January 28) She asked: What about people coming with babies, the elderly, the disabled, why don’t they have shelter for people coming early? Bad consumer service and citizen hardships are all around now.

But such things could be prevented, especially with the current economic situation.

G o o d m a n n e r s , c o n s u me r courtesy and more humane treatment among o u r s e l v e s could help ease the pain.