OWTU SPEAKS – December 22, 2006

Good evening and welcome to OWTU Speaks! We missed last Friday, Monday and Wednesday because, essentially, this commentator left the country last Thursday for an important special meeting in Brussels, Belgium and although arriving back home in Trinidad and Tobago on Monday night I was without an effective voice due to the ‘coward tax’ which 10° temperature in Brussels caused me to contract – it real bad.

But I could not allow the opportunity to escape me today to wish all of Trinidad and Tobago a Peaceful, Holy and Safe Christmas and enjoyable holiday season. This wish is made in the midst of the tremendous problems being experienced by many in our own national community and the world over. At home, crime – the high incidence of murder, kidnapping, for ransom, carnage on our roads and the hunger and homelessness suffered by many will no doubt suggest a cry for a second coming of Christ as man continues to fail and politics continue to defame, divide and destroy. We must not give up however! We must continue to hope and to see alternatives – we must continue to try.

On Monday I had my last ride on a BWee flight from Heathrow to Piarco – indeed it was my last BWee flight to anywhere. Everybody including non-nationals of Trinidad and Tobago was sad. The captain in the cockpit having given 30 years of service to one of the world’s safest airlines was also melancholy over the uncertainty being experienced by many of his co-pilots and flight crews who did not have offers to work with the BWee successor nor offers of alternative employment. First Prime Minister and true nationalist, Eric Williams was said to be turning in his grave if his ashes were not molecules in a tornado – over the sellout and abandonment of important features which help to constitute our national interest. The poor blokes now in chafe possess neither spirit nor soul of what is or must Trinidad and Tobago.

We in the OWTU mourn the loss of BWIA and wish the best for Caribbean Airlines but we do not hesitate to profess that we love the people who embodied the national airline more! May God bless and guide those upon whom we must depend at least for the time being for the leadership of Trinidad and Tobago. May he relieve the pains and anguish of the suffering.

May we all have a peaceful and Holy Christmas. Let us exercise care on our roads and do everything to be safe.

I am Errol Mc Leod for the OWTU Speaks.

OWTU SPEAKS – December 13, 2006

Good evening and welcome to OWTU Speaks! We did not wish it but cautioned months ago that it was likely to happen, given the Caribbean’s new and growing mood against dictatorial tendencies and the arrogance with which our leaders discharge their governance over our affairs. The results of the general elections in St. Lucia two (2) days ago must certainly tell an important lesson to those who are so over confident that their very aura is an arrogance which invites repulsion but which quite often is quietly dismissed because of respect and better breeding of the offended.

We-nay, this commentator predicted the defeat of our local incumbents in the Trinidad and Tobago General Elections of 1995 and we were quite accurate about the resulting political equation which emerged.

In 2000 and very soon after, in 2001, I predicted that because of its immorality in the conduct of our public affairs and the extent of the malfeasance which pervaded it, the UNC was doomed to be a one-term and never-again-government, of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. That prediction earned this commentator every vilification and cuss that the devil’s consort could have ever mouthed. But words, even vile words, are like the wind. Blows however, are unkind. I may not have been blessed but the electorate dispensed appropriate blows to those who misappropriated the public purse in the last round.

I recall being invited by the leadership of the SLP-the St. Lucia Labour Party to deliver an address at its Annual Convention at a time when there were internal wranglings in that organization in 1993. I think I helped in some ways, and in 1996 – I recall I attended Cheddi Jagan’s sponsored ‘Toward a New Global Economic Order’ talk shop in Guyana where I contributed to the framing of a Manafesto of sorts which must have helped Kenny Anthony on his way to winning the St. Lucia General Elections in 1997. But that is perhaps beside the point. What is more relevant now is the advice which sought to steer the former Prime Minister away from the path of arrogance and to choose instead to be humble and genuine in his treating with the affairs of the St. Lucian citizen.

Dr. Anthony ought not to have lost last Monday’s General Elections. He had seen to St. Lucia’s economic growth at an average 4% over the last five years. He reduced unemployment from a staggering 22% to 15%. He seemed to have been among the best informed and most enlightened among Caribbean leaders. But something was wrong. Something had to be seriously wrong to influence the election to retired octogenarian John Compton ahead to Kenny Anthony. What could be the reason here? What might have caused that disconnect? I will not say what! I could however suggest who! I will not make any prediction though!

I am Errol Mc Leod for the OWTU Speaks.

OWTU SPEAKS – December 11, 2006

Good evening and welcome to OWTU Speaks! It must be enormously difficult to make merry and be glad on the death of another human being. It is somewhat understandable however, that except for close family perhaps none will feel sorrow or regret the passing of the heartless right wing military dictator Augusto Pinochet. And if the deceased’s immediate family were to denounce responsibility for the disposal of his physical remains, it certainly would not be unreasonable for the Chilean people to demand that Pinochet’s sponsors of the evil which he unleashed against opponents to his injustices, be the pallbearers of his corpse to a place where even any memory of him may be encaged, sealed and isolated for the unconscionable and remotely controlled anti-communist tyrant that he had been.

Augusto Pinochet accepted the role of us satellite for the destabilization of Chilean society following the coming to power by the very democratically elected government of popular Marxist President Salvador Allende. Allende made tow mistakes – his first and last – when in his misjudgement of character, he appointed Augusto Pinochet, Commander of the Chilean Army. Nineteen days following his appointment to the head of the Army, Pinochet turned viciously against his boss whose only sin, the CIA identified to be Allende’s attempts to distribute the national wealth in such a way as to reach the poor and struggling masses of the Chilean people. Just nineteen (19) days of his being given the hand of commander of the Army, Augusto was pulling the trigger as he led a bloody military rebellion against Allende, who rather than submit to this mad man and us imperialism, committed suicide in his presidential palace.

It is necessary to interject here that many strugglers for peace, bread and justice have come to learn that: “any man, be he Army Commander, High Priest, Governor, Chief Justice, Head of Government, Police Commissioner, Opposition Leader – any man who shouts law and order while the people cry out for bread and justice – investigate him and you are sure to find the secret records of a common crook”. Even after Pinochet did his dirty work at the behest of the CIA, in July 2004, a US Senate investigation revealed that the Army strong man had stached away a fortune of some $28m US in foreign bank accounts.

There are many lessons which local politicians in Trinidad and Tobago might learn from the facade behind which many leaders here an abroad peddles their self righteousness. Death the great leveler and non-respector of persons has an unbiased way of exposing the fact as truth. May the Chilean people now work toward their own development in peace, and may their tormentor be made to account to the hereafter court of equal justice.

Have a peaceful evening Trinidad and Tobago, I am Errol Mc Leod for the OWTU Speaks.

OWTU SPEAKS – December 08, 2006

Good evening and welcome to OWTU Speaks! Though that we might lighten the mood a bit with some serio-comical palaver this evening as we suspend for the time being – the many Prime Ministerial ‘foopah’s’ with which we have been contending and the general disposition of arrogance – no!, not confidence – arrogance with a strong measure of ignorance – as is displayed by Primo Ministerio cum Emperor. We recall some rather hilarious anecdotes of the late first Prime Minister whom it is often said, was arrogant to his hearing aid and dark glasses, but more than today’s chickenless Pat was known to wear his arrogance elegantly and well.

It is said that when Dr.Williams piloted the Education Act (1966) which sought to also extend the provision of free secondary education universally in Trinidad and Tobago, a certain silver tongued Naparima MP argued against the measure. The bane of that MP’s opposition to the legislation was-as he argued – “Mr. Speaker Sir, when we give every boy and girl free college education Mr. Speaker, who would cut the canes in the Sugar Industry”? It is reported that Dr. Williams rose and retorted: Mr. Speaker, so long as we have people like the narrow sighted member for Naparima, the canes will be cut.

Another time again in 1966 it is said that Dr. Williams was touring some government sponsored private farms in Wallerfield and was pushed by his Agriculture Minister, Lionel Robinson, to avoid the Doctor stepping onto a fresh mound of cattle droppings. Lionel Robinson said – “careful Bill – you almost stepped on ‘Cow Dung’ – whereupon the Prime Minister responded – oh no Lio, I almost stepped on the platform of the Liberal Party”.

Dr. Williams smart, he was wise, he was a most intelligent man that was about the orderly development of the people. He was still very must criticized but yet he listened.

About Mr. Manning – what do we say? He is very much criticized.

Have a good weekend Trinidad and Tobago be safe – take great care.

I am Errol Mc Leod for the OWTU Speaks!

OWTU SPEAKS – December 06, 2006

Good evening and welcome to OWTU Speaks! The Environment Management Authority has limited resources to police implementation of the requirements of CEC’s – Certificated of Environmental Clearance. Compliance with lawful stipulations can therefore be avoided and ignored. There are as a result many challenges as the country intensifies its industrialization. Regrettably, there is no well worked out and holistic plan for this industrialization and therefore the identification of which plants are being installed is largely dependent on the whims of foreign investors and the sites for the plants are being chosen on an ad hoc basis, without consideration for the carrying capacity of the area or the country as a whole as far as the issue of green house gases and other environmental drawbacks are concerned.

With regard to the construction of aluminum smelters in this country we have said – not once, not twice or three times -, we have said and reiterated over and over, that a decision to build smelters here should be determined only on the basis of technical and scientific proof that aluminum smelting is compatible with our environmental protection standards and appropriate to our overall industrial development in the medium to longer term and without deleterious consequences to our socio-economic well being in the future.

This commentator was invited to attend the one-day symposium on the Aluminum Industry in Trinidad and Tobago, organized by the South Trinidad Chamber of Industry and Commerce and held earlier today. I did not attend. I refused to help legitimize the sham to which the call for serious dialogue has been reduced. Today’s mamaguy would have been at best, an academic exercise.

When there were negative responses to the first Smelter being built, Ministerio Numero and Emperor said there won’t be just one but two Smelters. When there was broad-based outcry against the second to be constructed in Chatham, the Emperor high handedly retorted that the government will not be derailed and instead of 2 Smelters, the protesters will have to contend with three instead.

And now, on the eve of its instructed consultation and symposium the head of the government tells the business community that the symposium is only reveal the facts and not to change the collective mind of the government and that its not because somebody objects that he will stop.

The Prime Minister’s statement is not only unfortunate – it smacks of imperial arrogance and dictatorship. What is the purpose of consultation if it did not have the benefit of altering decisions already taken – sometimes wisely? What if the collective mind of the government turns out to be collective folly and detrimental to the citizen’s and the national interest?

We are sorry but we must with respect say ‘NO’ Prime Minister! Not so! Have a good evening Trinidad and Tobago. Protect the environment and see our future in the present. I am Errol Mc Leod for the OWTU Speaks!