PRESSURE MOUNTS ON BARRY

Weeks be­fore the Gov­ern­ment presents its sec­ond bud­get, Com­mu­ni­ca­tions Work­ers’ Union (CWU) Sec­re­tary Gen­er­al Joanne Ogeer says her union will not back down on its 10 per cent wage hike re­quest. Fur­ther­more, Ogeer is now call­ing on the Prime Min­is­ter to meet with the union to set­tle out­stand­ing ne­go­ti­a­tions, say­ing she will not deal with Pub­lic Util­i­ties Min­is­ter Bar­ry Padarath.

Speak­ing to the me­dia out­side TSTT House on Ed­ward Street, Port-of-Spain, dur­ing a mid­day protest yes­ter­day, Ogeer said she wants to by­pass Pub­lic Util­i­ties Min­is­ter Bar­ry Padarath and speak di­rect­ly with the Prime Min­is­ter.

“I did say at the press con­fer­ence that I called out to the Prime Min­is­ter and Madam Prime Min­is­ter, I don’t know if you’re not look­ing, but I’m ask­ing you: I am will­ing to meet with you. Even Ste­vie Won­der and Ray Charles could see that what we have are facts. So, those who have ears will hear, and those who have eyes will see.”