Derek Achong
Public Services Associations (PSA) President Watson Duke is calling on public servants to utilise Government’s proposed pandemic leave today, but not based on the criteria suggested.
In a live video on his Facebook profile after the special leave was announced by Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus, yesterday, Duke appeared to call on all public servants, not just those who could not find supervision for their children, to claim pandemic leave today.
“Call tomorrow pandemic holiday and when you go write a letter and say you were on pandemic leave. Write a letter. Challenge them,” Duke said.
He suggested that such public servants should use the free time to “prepare” their households for the virus.
Duke described the proposed leave and the guidelines given to public servants, State enterprises/private-sector employees as confusing.
“As far as I know, guidelines are not mandatory. They are not law,” Duke said, as he claimed that the Government had reneged on their guidelines on the hiring of contract employees in the past.
In particular, Duke questioned the suggestion of one parent staying home while the other reporting for duty.
“Who is to verify that?” Duke said.
As he claimed that a nationwide shut-down was necessary to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, Duke pointed to the fact that he allowed his staff to stay away from work until March 31.
“The Government has to know when to suspend work,” Duke said.
He also noted that the proposed policy failed to consider the impact on businesses.
“The National Insurance Board (NIB) should be paying half the workers’ salaries during this time,” Duke said.
The Tobago House of Assembly (THA)Minority Leader claimed that he was in self-imposed isolation and practising social distancing. He claimed that he would wait a while before he risks travelling to Tobago.
