Sunday, August 31, 2014

Blind Welfare workers begin ‘stage one’ of protest action.

By Port-of-Spain
Alexander Bruzual
Link,http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Blind-Welfare-workers-begin-stage-one-of-protest-action-273416231.html

Story Created: Aug 31, 2014 at 11:17 PM ECT
Story Updated: Aug 31, 2014 at 11:17 PM ECT

ON Friday night, 20 workers at the Blind Welfare Association North Office, located at the corner of Duke and Edward streets in Port of Spain, locked themselves inside the building for the weekend as “stage one” of their plans to protest the fact that more than 50 workers have not been paid for the past ten working days.

This was revealed yesterday by president general of the All Trinidad General Workers’ Trade Union, Nirvan Maharaj, in a brief interview with the Express.

“We have a situation right now where the Government has not paid these men and women, who are mostly daily paid, for the past ten working days and counting,” said Maharaj.

“These are men and women who have families, who have bills, mortgages, medical payments, children to support. They are just like everyone else, and yet there seems to be no consideration for them at all.

“So about 20 persons decided that they had enough and they want to commence protest actions until the situation is resolved. Part of that plan was to lock themselves in the compound and sleep there. The union and myself went to the compound today (Sunday) to show solidarity with them and to give them food and drink, and to make sure they were all doing okay,” Maharaj added.

He said he was calling on the Government to resolve the issue as soon as possible for the sake of all involved.

“If the matter is not resolved by Tuesday afternoon, then the union will have no choice but to lead a march to the Prime Minister’s office demanding that she intervene and pay these men and women. We are hoping that it does not come to that, but we are preparing for any eventuality at this point,” Maharaj said.

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