Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley says Cabinet has approved a measure which will allow it to employ temporary public servants instead of the Public Service Commission. Speaking at a news conference at his office on Charles Street, Port-of-Spain, yesterday, Rowley said the measure was aimed at getting more people to vote for the ruling party in the 2015 general election. Rowley said he could not say how many workers will be affected but it was “not an insignificant number.” He said the move was targeted at lower-level employees in the Public Service, including clerks and messengers.
He called on the commission “to look into this matter and ensure that its authority is not usurped by the Cabinet.” Rowley said he received a Cabinet Minute, dated September 4, which authorised permanent secretaries and heads of departments in the respective ministries “to develop and institutionalise systems to ensure that persons employed in clerical, secretarial and support services are only utilised for a maximum period of 12 months.” He said the new measure was to take effect from October 1.
Public Administration Minister Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan could not be contacted for comment by the T&T Guardian yesterday. Rowley said the new measure could be happening without the knowledge of the PSC and called on the commission to investigate it. He said he was not aware of the Government implementing the measure after consultations with the trade union which represents the affected workers and the PSC.
Describing the Government as “a general Santa Claus,” he said this move was part of a plan to give away as much as it could to secure victory at the polls next year, and as the 2015 general election approached the Government was seeking to bribe electors. “Everything is about a bribe: Give you free flour, free oil for an election. They are now on a huge bribe-and-brainwashing campaign,” he added. That comment was a reference to the decision to give citizens discounts on NFM products for Divali, Christmas and other national festivals. In response to a question on constitution reform, Rowley said if there was any area which required review and reform it was the service commissions but there have been no reform proposals on them.
