By LEISELLE MARAJ Saturday, April 26 2008

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UNION TALK: FITUN head David Abdulah (right) speaks with two union officials following a press conference yesterday at the Brian Lara Promenade. ...

FEDERATION of Independent Trade Unions and Non-Governmental Organisations (FITUN) president David Abdulah yesterday suggested that dismissed Trade and Industry Minister Dr Keith Rowley could use the services of a trade union shop steward.

He made the suggestion as he called Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s method of relieving Rowley of his Cabinet responsibilities as unjustified and wrong.

Speaking yesterday at a FITUN press conference along the Brian Lara Promenade, Abdulah said the union reacted with “amazement” at Manning’s explanation for dismissing Rowley which he gave during a post-Cabinet press conference at Whitehall.

“Perhaps Dr Rowley could use the services of a shop steward from one of our trade unions because quite clearly, from an industrial relations standpoint, the Prime Minister was horribly wrong in how he addressed the matter,” Abdulah said.

“The Industrial Court, no doubt, would say the dismissal was harsh and oppressive and contrary to the principles of good industrial relations,” he added. Abdulah said that besides proper process, the reason given by Manning for Rowley’s dismissal, which included a five-minute tirade and alleged hooligan and wajang behaviour, did not warrant the consequences meted out to Rowley.

He said at the root of this incident is the issue of governance, leadership and an absence of vision for Trinidad and Tobago in the government and opposition.

“When we hear of hooligan behaviour on one hand and laptop behaviour on the other hand, the country is continuing to face horrendous problems be it high food prices, crime and traffic congestion,” he said. Abdulah also addressed issues raised by Rowley concerning the way the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (Udecott) was operated.

He said FITUN has always been highly critical of government’s large construction projects including the Hyatt Regency Hotel, the entire Waterfront Project and the Performing Arts Centre and use of Chinese labour on these projects.

He also publicly called on Udecott chairman Calder Hart to resign, Government to halt all of its mega-construction projects and issues raised by Rowley to be investigated.