Jennifer Baptiste-Primus, the tough-talking president general of the 12,000-member-strong Public Services Association (PSA), is giving up labour leadership with the imminent union election. In this interview, Baptiste-Primus reflects on her 12-year stewardship at one of the country’s vital trade unions.

Q:Why are you not offering yourself for re-election as leader of the Public Services Association?

A: Firstly, when I became president, I indicated that I would like to serve two terms and then step down. I told myself that along with the executive, I would be able to turn around the union. At the end of the eight years, and with the plans for development of PSA, I was asked to stay on for another term. I did, and now that term has come to an end, and, therefore, it brings my leadership to an end. I am happy that I am leaving the leadership with the union in a financially strong and stable position. When I assumed the presidency, the union was broke, and had a loan of $2.6 million and no savings.

I feel proud that we were able to pay off the loan, through an arrangement; that we have cleared our debts, and that our headquarters is clear of any encumbrance. Ken, in addition, I always told myself that when I attained age 55 I wanted to retire. I turned 56 last Saturday, and I have reached the point where I want to stop working for anyone. Thirdly, as executive chairman of PSA Management and Services, Ltd, I have to operationalise that company before the end of the year. I never knew that business was that hard. I now have a better appreciation of what is required in developing a strategic plan to ensure a profit in a specific time frame. I am going to work free of charge.

Q: What’s this PSA company all about?

A: The company is involved in housing development and the delivery of certain services. Our strategic plan takes into consideration the local and regional markets. We plan a host of services at Long Circular, and we are aiming to begin at Valencia before the end of the year. Valencia would be a gated community. Ken, getting approval from government agencies is like pulling teeth. You’d think this is the PSA and things would be easy for us, but it is not. We are seeking Town and Country approval for Valencia.

We are also rebuilding at 91 Abercromby Street (Port-of-Spain) and merging into one building with number 89. We have been advised that we can’t go beyond the present height, because of our proximity to the prison. We are also going to construct 120 houses in Tobago. Our assignment is monumental, and putting it into operation requires direct energies.

Q: Are you financially-secured? How can you afford to work for free?

A: I have a pension. I would survive on that pension. I don’t have many needs. I am a simple person. I have to give back to this organisation, and one way of giving back is working for free until the company catches itself and can pay me.

Q: You spoke, years ago, of a possible political career. Do you still have political plans?

A: I had indicated that after my term of office, I would venture into politics. But I have no such plans at this time.

Q: What do you consider your major achievements?

A: There are so many achievements. The most significant is ensuring that the PSA moved from the red to the black and into a strong and stable financial position. Ken, when I got into office, it was not unusual for WASA to cut our water supply and for TTEC to cut our lights. I had to go out and appeal to them. I got letters from creditors, threatening to take the PSA to court.

Q: How did you financially turn around the union?

A: At a multi-pronged level; we employed a membership recruitment officer. We analysed unions’ dues; the PSA had the lowest dues. We introduced a slight increase. We kept a strong eye on expenditure. We spent only on what was absolutely necessary. We also had a savings plan. You have to develop a discipline for saving.

Q: What are the major outstanding issues in which the union is involved?

A: The Board of Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise development represents the government’s continued dismantling of the public service. Other unions now understand what we have been undergoing for years, through the government’s incremental dismantling of the public service. We demand our right to continue to represent workers. In 1999, when the government developed a model when it wanted to implement its public service reform agenda, it presented three options to workers.

The model emerged from TTPost and was implemented in the Civil Aviation Authority and in the transformation from the National Housing Authority to the Housing Development Authority. Three options were offered to workers—transfer to the new entity; redeployment to the rest of the public service, or Vsep. Ken, the government has taken a 360- degree change, and has indicated to workers that they would be offered only Vsep. The Minister of Finance has said that Government decided to only offer a Vsep option. This is putting public officers on the breadline. Why not offer the TTPost model?

We have already developed a plan of action to go with that issue. Workers are not prepared to accept only Vsep; they are not prepared to have their jobs taken away. They have contributed to the development of the respective entities; they have financial commitments. We plan to talk to independent and opposition senators. We are not objecting to the creation of a revenue authority. We are wedded to the view that the public service must experience change, but we have a philosophical difference on how that change must be managed.

Q: As you demit leadership of the PSA, what is the state of the labour movement?

A: Ken, there isn’t unity in the labour movement, but this is not an unusual position. An ideal should be to continue to strive for unity. Any student of history would know that labour has always had two federations—the Labour Congress and the Council of Progressive Trade Unions. The harsh measures imposed by the international lending agencies in the 1980s, and the social pressures that resulted, led the two bodies to merge into one. I was a part of that.

The unions united under Natuc. Once there is a threat to the survivability of unions, there would be unity. The decertification move has led to a unified position from the labour movement. Government was clearly behind that decertification move.

Q: Really?

A: We are familiar with the various policies and procedures involved, and how matters are sent to the Cabinet and addressed. Remember, we represent the public service. But with its change of position, the Government is now exercising good sense. Any employer behind such a move would be met with a unified labour movement. Generally, the Government must engage the population. There is too much pressure on the people.

Q: What do you mean?

A: The property tax! This is not a time for Government to be implementing this tax. This could be introduced at a time when the population can bear these costs, not when Government is spending so much under Udecott, on the Summit, CHOGM, and millions of dollars elsewhere. Government should think well about the effects on the population.

Q: If your protégé Stephen Thomas becomes PSA leader, what should union members expect?

A: He would work to bringing the strategic plan into realisation. There are a number of things to implement. The job evaluation exercise in the public service is a matter to be attended to. We identified several systemic weaknesses in the exercise that begun three years ago. We view that exercise as critical to the next four years. The dismantling of the public service would continue, and our resistance must be ramped up to meet that threat. We have already taken the fight to the Government to ensure that workers’ jobs are protected.

We also look forward to the completion of negotiations for the 2008-2010 agreement. We submitted proposals and are awaiting a feedback to commence negotiations. The Government has been tending to begin negotiations when the respective period is almost over. For the 2005-’08 agreement, we got the second highest increases of 24 and 35 per cent, in addition to dollar value increases of between $350 and $1,200. Our best increase was in the 1981-’83 agreement, when we negotiated a 59 per cent increase.

Q: How would you like to be remembered as a trade union leader?

A: As someone who defended workers and worked to improve the quality of their lives!

Q: What are your immediate plans?

A: Going on a cruise with my darling husband! When we got married in 2001, it was at the height of the re-election period, and I had no time. The only time we had was on Divali day, and we got married on that day. That’s why Divali means a lot to us. It is a significant date. We are going on a cruise as soon as the election is over.