Thousands of Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) members and PNM supporters converged on Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s St Clair office yesterday to deliver a letter to her containing one word: “Go.” So said Opposition Leader Dr Keith Rowley yesterday afternoon as he addressed the large crowd at Adam Smith Square, at the end of a march through the streets of Port-of-Spain that began at Woodford Square at 1 pm.
Rowley said the marchers went to deliver the letter to Persad-Bissessar, but she ran. A Baptist woman “swept” in front of the PM’s office with a cocoyea broom and a man threw water. The woman began ringing the bell from Woodford Square and burned something on the ground at Adam Smith Square before the marchers arrived. Verna St Rose-Greaves, former government minister, also caused a stir at Woodford Square as she pushed a baby stroller with burning incense through the crowd.
The scene was reminiscent of the night the PNM made a clean sweep at the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) elections on January 21 earlier this year, complete with the cocoyea broom and bell-ringing. Although it was dubbed a workers’ march and was organised by the JTUM, it appeared to be a PNM march, as red, the PNM’s colour, dominated. The PNM came out in a powerful show of force, walking through the streets and waving red, white and black national flags like a Carnival band.
Asked why the PNM was there, Rowley said it was because labour was there. “If anybody knows the PNM, they will know the PNM and labour’s navel strings are one and the same,” he added, listing a number of PNM politicians who were involved in the labour movement, such as Nathaniel Crichlow, former PNM general council member and senator, Carl Tull, senator, Owen Hinds, general council member, and Milton Hackshaw, former Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union general secretary and PNM election candidate.
“So when I’m on a platform supporting the labour movement, I’m right at home with the PNM,” said Rowley. “That aside, when labour calls us out to support ourselves against a government that has been making a mess of our country, the PNM is here to support.” Rowley said the Government had terminated more than 8,000 contract workers because they were thought to be PNM supporters.
“In a matter of months of coming into office, this Government deprived over 8,000 persons of their daily bread,” he claimed. He said no reason was given to explain why the contracts were not renewed. “So when labour calls us out in defence of those people, the PNM cannot stand idly by.” Rowley claimed the termination of the contracts of workers perceived to be PNM supporters had continued relentlessly.