MINORITY Leader Kelvon Morris has labelled an Industrial Court ruling as “a significant moment of justice" for contract workers in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA).
Morris was responding to a media report that the THA may have to pay more than $3 million to 13 contract workers fired after the 2021 THA elections. The report said the Advocate Trade Union (ATU) represented the group and has until May 29 to indicate what each worker is owed. A final court ruling is scheduled for June 30.
At a post-Executive Council media briefing in April 2022, THA Chief Secretary Farley Augustine said several units in the assembly required some restructuring in order to make them efficient.
To date, three units have been restructured with the latest being Cepep, under the Division of Community Development, Youth Development and Sport. Other units are the Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, under the Division of Infrastructure, and the Community Partnership Unit, under the Office of the Chief Secretary.
In a Facebook live on May 12, Morris said the individuals were abruptly and unfairly terminated by the current administration and have endured emotional and financial hardships.
“Brothers and sisters, today is a good day. Today is a day, I am sure all of these workers are breathing a sigh of relief, and it is also a good day for you the Tobago contract workers employed with the THA. You can rest assured that there is a place of reconciliation for political wickedness.”
He said as difficult as this journey has been, this judgment affirms that injustice has consequences.
“I hope it offers a measure of healing for those who I know suffered in silence. This ruling should have never been necessary because as you recall, fellow Tobagonians, the honourable Farley Chavez Augustine gave his word during his campaign that no contract worker would lose their job under his administration. We, the people of Tobago, you fellow Tobagonians, many of you contract workers took him to his word and you entrusted him based on his comment, with an overwhelming mandate.”
He said, unfortunately, what followed after was a wave of termination that devastated livelihoods and betrayed that promise. He said the ruling should serve as a warning and a clear call to conscience.
“It is a clear reminder that leadership must be rooted in integrity, accountability and compassion. You, the people of Tobago, you deserve leaders who honour their word, upholds the rights of workers and place the well-being of the island above political interest.”
He said upon final judgment, Augustine should ensure that the payments are made to the workers in the shortest space of time.
“Many of these works have remained unemployed, without work for the past three and a half years, since this termination. I am sure you, fellow Tobagonians, can appreciate the hardship, the mental stress and distress that this would have placed on each of these individuals’ lives. Many of these employees are properly certified – most properly certified applied to the THA during the interven
