Kamla Accuses Unions of Racial Bias as Labour March Proceeds in Port of Spain

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar accused union leaders and Opposition figures of using today’s labour march in Port of Spain for political and racial attacks on the UNC, and urged citizens to avoid the route. NATUC general secretary Michael Annisette said the march will go ahead, insisting the labour movement represents workers of all backgrounds and that the protest is not race-based.

Labour leaders Michael Annisette and Timothy Bailey rejected Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s claim that unions only march when an East Indian prime minister is in office, saying unions have protested under all governments. The march, backed by the PNM and several unions, will press for action on wages, governance and wider socio-economic concerns in Trinidad and Tobago.

Two religious leaders are urging Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Opposition Leader Penelope Beckles to tone down increasingly hostile political language, warning that racial undertones and personal attacks could deepen divisions in Trinidad and Tobago. Inter-Religious Organisation president Dr Ellis Buris and Pastor Clive Dottin said leaders must set a better example and commit to more respectful public discourse.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar accused trade unions of protesting only when an East Indian prime minister leads government, saying their actions are driven by racial hostility toward the UNC. Her remarks come as unions plan Friday protests over delayed wage talks, even after the Government promised to ускорate negotiations, and after Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles condemned her language as divisive.