OWTU SPEAKS 2004

            WHO IS AFRAID OF HARRY? NOT ME!

But I would have been naïve and much of a fool myself if I did not expect Harry Harnarine and his minions to engage in a blistering attempt at assassinating my character and attacking the wholesome peoples’ perspectives of the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union. After all, Mr. Harnarine was very promptly and contemptuously rejected and ejected from the front pews of the only serious and respectable working peoples’ platform, last Saturday, celebrating the achievements of the 1937 General Strike and Anti-Colonial revolt and the struggles that have continued since.

            It was very unlikely that an over blown ego such as Harnarine’s would slither away tail tightly tucked between the legs, and not respond with a bark of some kind and even be assisted by yelps form ordinary canines or pot hounds more sophisticatedly referred to as Dustbin Terriers – themselves unceremonious rejects.

            Harry is livid. He does not understand how he could have had his own way for so long, unchallenged by the authorities – both in statutory and social organizations – even wresting control of the so – called National Trade Union Center – his not being a Trade Unionist – on BUTLER DAY to boot – all of that to have his oversized bubble bricked at Charlie King Junction. The poor fellow overestimated his self acclaimed stature and importance as Trinidad and Tobago’s newest mogul in media and finance.

            The OWTU – you see – is not intimidated and taken in by anybody whatever the resources he commands, however he may have come by those resources. And speaking for myself as leader of the OWTU – and I am heavily influenced by the OWTU’s independence, fearlessness and commitment to defending the people, all of our people, from the crooks, hyenas and vagabonds disguised in the cloak of respectability – speaking for myself – Harnarine’s modus operandi would not pass by me unquestioned, unchallenged. You see, it is not everyone who makes a donation of some sought whom we should consider charitable decent and principled.

            Dropping some food on a picket line with the view to owning and controlling those who are fed and fitted with a yellow T-Shirt – could not be an act of principled solidarity. The API and LNG strikers were not for sale. Slavery was assisted by the offer of meaningless beads, buttons and trinkets to the hapless bodies whose human dignity was assaulted and raped. It runs against us that there are some among us who would still today allow an assault on our proud history by accepting that we can be taken line, hook and sinker by any Tom, Dick and Harnarine who grudgingly and condescendingly throw some food and a yellow jersey before them. And the view is expressed gleefully in selected audiences that struggles can be sold out and the unwilling corralled and controlled because there are hungry mouths and long bellies posing as representatives out there.

            I make no apology to anyone that the OWTU is independent and free, yet priceless. And as for its leadership - there is no hesitation to telling our detractors to go to hell. No self respecting individual or organization will give miscreants the time of day. How else does one dismiss a reprobate like Sylester Ramquhar without being profane and abusive?

            Ramquhar is the lead dustbin terrier yelping I his master’s out house. He never liked to work and sees a deal in everything. He will soon bite the  hand that is now feeding him. And if the dead could only talk, Weekes would tell why he always resisted having Mr Ramquhar around. But the Vermin is perhaps a perfect match and good company for Harry. Just give them time.

            No art is necessary – one should find it quite easy to read the construction of both their minds in Harry’s flinching and Ramquhar’s miserable physiognomies. Without fear and with absolutely no respect for the despicable and the reprobate – THIS IS OUR VIEW! And I am Errol McLeod, calling in from the Petrobas Workers Headquarters in Brazil.

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OWTU SPEAKS 2004-07-21

It’s Our View

            Of course there must be many questions which the authorities must answer and actions which they must take on the disappearance and thin the recovery of the cralil weapon. It will do no good for public confidence in our security and protective systems if this issue is left as forgotten and to fall through the cracks – this should not be allowed. And of course, if there are sensitive issues involved and there may well be, such issues should be dealt with sensitively. We hope that there will be a sensible response by the appropriate authority who understands the suggestion here. Yesterday, our attention was drawn to some recommendations coming from the Chairman of the Crime Committee.

            One recommendation is that there should be no bail for kidnappers and that kidnapping is made a capital offence. We like the ring of that and support it for the reconsideration of all members of the parliament who are genuinely concerned about the spate of kidnappings and the crime spiral that continues to haunt the society.

            And finally today, we recommend that all those unhinged and around – the – bend anti- crime campaigners, if they are not too far gone, to heed the advice of the prominent attorney who said yesterday that civilians do not have the authority to search other people’s homes.

Peace! I am Errol McLeod for the OWTU. This is Our View.

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OWTU SPEAKS 2004-07-14

It’s Our View

            If this piece sounds like a joke, it is so intended, and we would have successes in our attempt to present a serio – comical description of the ‘anti – everything a activism’ which is at present being promoted as representative of the body politic of Trinidad and Tobago today. And we advise that any resemblance or reference herein to any fact or persons alive or dead prematurely and politically, is purely coincided and intended to do the impossible of tarnishing any of the individual’s character.

            The United Nations Secretariat was once petitioned to lend a hand at dealing with crime and to investigate the rapid growth in lunacy among sections of an uniformed, misguided and gullible Trinidad population. In the wake of a high incidence of kidnapping and general banditry, there was obvious and deep concern about the agenda and modus of some folks who behaved like the possessed obsessed and the throngs of indigents whose gnawing stomachs guided their heads. The petitioners requested that a survey and study be done to determine the extent of the malignancy of our disorder and that appropriate recommendations be proffered. The General Assembly considered our affliction and had the Secretariat respond favorably, with news that it would dispatch to Port of Spain, one of its top scientists to do the necessary psychological and psycho – analytical work with a few randomly selected samples of the malady that had struck the land of soca and chutney.

            The world renowned head shrink arrived at Piarco International Airport one Sunday morning, to see scores of maladroit being restrained by law officers, from storming the tarmac, supposedly to stop and search airplanes which were thought to contain capital for external destinations and maybe chiseled from credit savings. That was lunacy at its maddest even as one remembered the failed Summit Finance and International Trust Unlimited.

            Anyhow, the UN specialist selected three of the more apparently demented whom he observed from a physiognomic standpoint, to be most representative of an insurgent’s outlook of capital flight.

            Dr. Who selected one ‘Loony Shabby,’ ‘Mental Clivey,’ and ‘Madmax four digit Harry’. He took them to a room for his first interviews and asked them, “gentlemen, what is the product of 7 times 3?” –

-Shabby responded, “7 times 3 = Credit sir.

-Mental Clivey said, “7 times 3 = Union sir.

- (the UN Doctor whistled and muttered to himself – “they far gone boy – huh that is madness”.

And turned to Madmax – “you, 7, 3’s?

“7, 3’s make 21 sir”, said Madmax.

“Good!” Said the scientist, “and how did you arrive at 21?” he asked.

“All I did was take away the credit from the union sir. That’s all!” Replied the mad but not stupid Harry.

            We heard that the scientist just as quickly returned to UN headquarters as he could not decipher the difference between the madman and the smart man – Trinidad style.

            There is a strong suspicion that we are witnessing attempt at so skillful diversions. And that something is about to buss! We hope that flight of fancy are not masking the flight of the small man’s three shillings and five hapnies of nest egg capital.

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OWTU SPEAKS 2004-07-11

It’s Our View….

            If there existed in the country today, an organized, well structured, honest and truly representative alternative, we would demonstrate for and demand the resignation and removal of the present officials in charge and the government of Trinidad and Tobago. We would say “Enough is enough”, - so much is too much.

            An abysmal and shameful performance by the West Indies Cricket team against the Kiwis on the weekend, was overshadowed only by our continuing crime spiral except that this time, the bandits earned us the ignominy of invading foreign territory – indeed that’s what another sovereign’s embassy is, foreign territory – we, Trinidad and Tobago have made international headlines – our local brazen bandits having invaded the Cuban Embassy and residence of the Ambassador, assaulting and robbing his Excellency and his fellow Cuban guest in the process. What a blow to our reputation! What a blemish to our international image! And the violators are still at large.

            What are our police really doing? Fiddling their thumbs? The practitioners of international relations and the diplomatic community might empathize with us on the high incidence of crime – the kidnap and murder of a parliamentarian’s son, the shooting of a Minister’s son – they however do not tolerate the violation of sovereign territory and another country’s representative personnel. We are fortunate that the Cuban’s are a friendly and understanding people – yet we must not take them for granted. No stone must be left unturned! Our Minister of External Relations had better hasten to reassure the Cuban Government of Trinidad and Tobago’s best intentions and our Minister of National Security must ensure that the police apprehended and bring to swift justice those who have perpetrated the criminal offence against the Ambassador and the Cuban people and who in the process have shamed and disgraced Trinidad and Tobago.

            For our part, we in the OWTU reaffirm our solidarity and very special relationship with the leadership and people of Revolutionary Cuba and we express here, our deep regrets and sincere apologies to His Excellency Felix Rojas and Dr. Alberto Perez for the criminal hostility and theft committed against them last Friday night.

            And finally, we exhort the government to do what a government must do, without resorting to illegal and unconstitutional means, to rein in the illegal guns, shut down the drug blocks and laundering operations, and apprehend and take out of circulation the perpetrators and foot soldiers of our worst incidence of shame and infamy – it is suggested that the police know who they are and where they can be found.

It is our View.

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OWTU SPEAKS 2004-07-07

It’s Our View

            It is disgusting! The hypocrisy of the Employers Consultative Association and the Chamber of Industry and Commerce or is it the Chamber of Ingratitude and Commess! Yes! – Ingratitude to workers who, in the commodity production process, have made the biggest and most important contribution to the parasites’ accumulation of wealth and capital. It is a nauseating kind of disgust. For seven weeks the Carib Brewery workers have gone without their regular wage-some of them now hungry – and the Employers and Business Associations have found their voce, only to condemn, as irresponsible, the workers’ and their Unions treat of boycott action against subsidiaries of the Mc Al conglomerate. Imagine the ECA and the chamber that sponsors most of the now regular ADR – Alternative Dispute Resolution programs – not finding the voice to advise one of their confederates against the illegal lock out of its employees and finding instead a healthier industrial relations means to resolving the small differences between itself and the Recognized Majority Union. But the hypocrisy of the Big Business mouth pieces should surprise none but those in the labour movement who have played the hand – in – glove, finger in pocket game against the very workers whom they claim to represent. Bad habits were cultivated and allowed to grow on this employer. Neither is the Ministry of Labour helpful in the situation where an employer has had successive governments under his open influence and control. It all boils down to independence, respect and fair play and it is in these regards that the OWTU is so fundamentally different from the rest. But we are not about extolling the OWTU’s virtues here either. We join all those other voices which are demanding an immediate end to the lockout and a return to the bargaining table and a mature preparedness to engage in the give – and take which underpin the collective bargaining process and healthy IR and human relations.

            The company cannot want to beat the workers into submission and on resumption of work expects a satisfied, enthusiastic and competitive productive employee cadre. The time to end the impasse is now or the healing process may become complicated by difficult side effects. The employer is well known for its profitability and its command of the market in which it operates. Its ability to meet the demand for a more reasonable wage and social conditions cannot be disputed either. It is therefore not unreasonable to accuse the company of recalcitrance and treating in bad faith.

            It is easy to fathom the shallowness of the pseudo fat cat comprador spokespersons for Big Business in the ECA especially. They know nothing, own nothing and have earned nothing but discredit to themselves. What do they expect? That the workers and their Union must continue to support an employer which has treated them with such contempt and disrespect? We think not! What does the ECA expect one’s response to be to his employer’s boycott of his labour and ability to put bread o his family’s table? What does one do? Have the employer more? Drink more beer to drown one’s sorrows? How preposterous will the ECA and the Chamber be? If the worker chooses to boycott the employer’s products instead of other illegal responses, he should be complimented not condemned!

            But if he will be condemned then we in the OWTU too are condemned for we had decided seven weeks ago at the start of the illegal lock out that our members will not support Carib Beer and other Mc Al products. But it is our view that all this would pass if there is an immediate end to the lock out and a return to a bilateral and mature approach to dispute resolution. It is our profound view. And I am Errol McLeod for the OWTU.

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OWTU SPEAKS 2004-07-02

It Is Our View…

            That the parliamentary debate on the Police Reform Bills has so far been no more than an expensive and wasteful exercise in cheap theatrics. Most contributors to the debate, on both sides of the House, over the last three (3) days, have been boring us to death with their asinine dissertations. They have done no more than demonstrate – particularly those on the opposition side – they have done no more than demonstrate a preoccupation an almost every issue of national import. How many Africans or Indians, Douglas or Chinese are found in the protective services or in the ranks of the unemployed can hardly be a contributory factor to crime and criminal activity as is the incidence of economic and social displacement, exacerbated during the last few years by official corruption and the commission of crimes against the citizenry by holders of high office.

            The advertisement in the print and electronic media asked citizens to talk to their MP’s prevailing on the narrowness of the leader’s influenced political party’s objective. From the responses across the floor, it would seem that not many constituents had access to their MP’s or, if they did talk with their representatives they failed to locate in their consciousness support for the common good and national interest.

            Apart from the proposer and a few supporters and one opponent of the measures before the House, the country has been treated to the worst collection of diatribe ever so vociferously slapped into our parliamentary records. Whether or not one agreed with his proposals, the Prime Minister’s preseutation was with content and substance, was masterful and with leadership.

            Mr. Jeremy was dead panned and unengaging – he might well bring measures to arrest crime but he will hardly arrest one’s interest and imagination. He does not have the gait or even a softer inclination to Ms Lucky’s panache. Most respondents, to the proposal, by the time boredom and disgust cause me to switch off last night, could have been talking about anything but a sensible approach to Police Reform and an assault on the crime spiral. They were all so irrelevant! Miserable failures purporting to represent the interest of the people – It Is Our View!