THE EDITOR: Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s stand against the proposed increase in her remuneration package is more political theatre than altruism.
The goodly lady knows that such an announcement, as premature as it is, will resonate positively with workers who are offered a four or five per cent wage increase. As former prime minister Patrick Manning would say, she is playing smart with stupidness.
Persad-Bissessar is being disingenuous. She is shaping the narrative of the 120th Report of the Salaries Review Commission (SRC) as if it is already approved by the Parliament. It is not!
If you listen to the Opposition Leader, you get the impression that Prime Minister Rowley had a hand in preparing the SRC recommendations. He did not.
Referring to the SRC report, she recently made the wild accusation that the Prime Minister was feathering his retirement nest. What a cruel insinuation.
Persad-Bissessar knows that the SRC operates as an independent commission under the Constitution with no links to her, Dr Rowley, or any other parliamentarian.
The Cabinet, as opposed to Rowley, can accept the report, it can reject it, it can send it back to the SRC for reconsideration, it can implement parts of it, or it can defer consideration to a later date.
The Opposition Leader’s suggestion that the SRC’s recommendations for all categories of officials be implemented except for the President and parliamentarians is not original.
In fact, while in office in 1995-2001, the Basdeo Panday administration, faced with tough economic times, did implement SRC recommendations for officials including the President, but not parliamentarians. Panday’s administration was offering wage settlements around five per cent at that time.
Rowley is in a similar unenviable position with the convergence of wage and back pay demands from several workers’ groups. Accepting the revised SRC report now may not send the right signal.
However, amending the report and slapping a four or five per cent increase across the board for all categories of high-end officials, from President down, can be the equalising formula that says, “we too are with you.” If that should happen, then “no dogs bark” and we can get back to work.
HARRY PARTAP
Former MP
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