标签： Trinidad and Tobago

A $191 million state-led housing development earmarked for one of Trinidad and Tobago’s most violent gang-controlled areas has been thrown into chaos and scrutiny, after a sitting cabinet minister publicly questioned the integrity of its procurement process and the fundamental wisdom of building residential units in the high-risk zone. Phillip Edward Alexander, Minister in the Ministry of Housing, laid out a series of damning questions during a press briefing held on the paused construction site at Citrus Close, Laventille, a piece of territory long contested by rival gangs from Beetham and Laventille. This plot, previously owned by the Citrus Growers Association, is classified by local law enforcement as a “hot zone” for ongoing violent gang conflict, a context Alexander says makes the former People’s National Movement (PNM) administration’s decision to proceed with housing development deeply irresponsible. Under the previous PNM government, the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) advanced plans to build 10 multi-unit structures holding a total of 191 apartments at the site, awarding the main construction contract to Wood Green Construction Services for $191.275 million. The bidding process, however, raises immediate red flags: Alexander confirmed that two firms, Wood Green and Rainbow Construction, made it to the final tender round, with Rainbow submitting a bid of just $137.244 million – a full $54 million lower than the winning offer from Wood Green. Initially, the contract was awarded to the lower-bidding Rainbow, but the HDC’s own Procurement and Disposal Advisory Committee reversed that decision and handed the work to the more expensive Wood Green. In a May 2024 letter obtained by Alexander and addressed to the Office of Procurement Regulation (OPR), Rainbow formally challenged the revised award, arguing that awarding the contract to a bidder $54 million more expensive constituted blatant public fund waste and unauthorized overspending. The letter was submitted during the mandatory standstill period after the contract award, and the OPR promised to launch a formal investigation within a year of receiving the complaint. Now, two years after that pledge of inquiry, Alexander says no findings or conclusions have been released, pointing to what he calls a suspicious double standard from the regulator that is currently far more active in scrutinizing HDC operations today than it was when this alleged irregularity was reported. Compounding the procurement concerns are questions about the project’s broader viability and safety. Alexander argues that building residential units in an active gang conflict hot zone puts future residents at unnecessary, severe risk of violence. He also questioned the project’s economic logic, noting that development costs are drastically out of line with local land values in the area. Per Alexander’s calculations, the per-unit cost is so high that the units cannot be sold at a price that recoups public investment; if rented instead, it would take taxpayers more than two centuries to recover the full $191 million outlay. As of the press conference, all construction work at the site has been halted, and Alexander confirmed that the current government has no clear path forward for the stalled development, leaving the project’s future entirely up in the air. Local media outlet the Express attempted to reach Wood Green Construction Services for comment via contact information listed on the firm’s official Facebook page, but has not received any response to requests for statement as of publication.

Long-simmering internal tensions within the People’s National Movement (PNM) San Fernando East constituency boiled over into public view this week, after the local executive directly rejected a directive from top party leadership and launched a pointed public counterattack against sitting Member of Parliament Brian Manning. The conflict was ignited when Manning took to his personal Facebook page Wednesday to air a series of sharp grievances against the constituency executive and its chair, Patricia Alexis.

Within 24 hours of Manning’s public post, national PNM chairman Marvin Gonzales stepped in to de-escalate the dispute, releasing an official statement on the party’s public Facebook page that warned all party members against airing internal disagreements in the public sphere. Gonzales clarified that the leadership had already taken steps to address the specific claims Manning raised against Alexis, and was guiding the matter through the party’s established internal processes.

Gonzales’ attempt to contain the conflict behind closed doors failed, however. By Thursday evening, the San Fernando East constituency executive released its own public statement via Facebook, pushing back aggressively against Manning’s allegations. The executive noted that it normally adheres to longstanding party norms that keep internal disagreements within party structures, but argued that Manning’s actions had left it no choice but to respond publicly. It pointed specifically to Manning’s choice to name Alexis directly, repeat what it called unproven damaging claims, and push for a public judgment on a matter that was already under active review by the national party leadership, which it said demanded a forceful response.

The executive pushed back against any implication that it avoids transparency or accountability, countering that Alexis has already fully cooperated with the ongoing internal investigation, voluntarily submitted to the party’s processes, and declined to use media influence to sway the inquiry’s outcome. The executive confirmed that the national party had already assembled a formal investigative team with clear, approved terms of reference. That team has already held interviews with Manning, Alexis, and witnesses from both sides of the dispute, and has submitted a full report of its findings and policy recommendations to the PNM leadership and General Council. The executive confirmed that party leadership is currently moving forward with implementing the report’s recommendations.

In a sharp rebuke of Manning, the executive claimed the MP has only been willing to accept an internal investigation that operates on his own personal terms. “Personal preference is not proof of unfairness,” the statement read, adding that “He cannot demand due process while publicly undermining that process because it is not proceeding exclusively on his terms.”

The executive also accused Manning of reviving old, unproven allegations first circulated by the opposition United National Congress — claims that have never been validated by any public factual finding — to question Alexis’ and the executive’s collective integrity. The statement called this tactic “dangerous and profoundly irresponsible,” noting that “A disclaimer cannot erase the reputational damage caused by calculated innuendo.”

The executive reminded the public that back in November 2024, the large majority of its local party groups and the full executive endorsed Manning as the PNM candidate for the 2025 general election. “The same executive whose support was welcomed when it secured his nomination cannot suddenly become untrustworthy because it refuses to surrender its independence,” the statement said.

Turning to electoral performance, the executive noted that the PNM won the San Fernando East seat by a comfortable 5,173-vote margin in the 2020 general election. After a full recount in the 2025 contest, that majority collapsed to just 673 votes. While the executive acknowledged that broader national political shifts contributed to this decline, it urged Manning to examine his own performance as a representative and local party leader, rather than shifting blame to local party members who helped him hold the seat. “A leader confronted by that level of electoral decline should begin with introspection and not scapegoating the volunteers and officers who helped him retain his seat,” it said.

The executive pushed back on Manning’s calls for open democratic process, questioning why he refuses to allow the PNM’s own internal democratic structures and membership judgment to run their course. “Is the real concern that, without the support of the current executive he now attacks, his own political standing may be considerably less secure than he wishes to admit?” the statement asked. It emphasized that democracy does not require members to only accept a process when they control its terms or are guaranteed a favorable outcome.

In one of the most pointed segments of the statement, the executive referenced the legacy of Patrick Manning, the late iconic PNM leader and former MP for San Fernando East, who is Brian Manning’s father. “The late honourable Patrick Manning’s legacy was earned through discipline, service, accessibility and performance. That legacy cannot be reduced to a surname, nor can it be used as a shield against accountability. Heritage is not a substitute for leadership,” it read.

The executive closed by reiterating its commitment to the PNM’s internal processes: it does not claim to be perfect, nor does it seek to shield any member from legitimate scrutiny, and it has fully cooperated with the national leadership’s investigation, a commitment it says will continue. “What we will not accept, is the use of mischievous political allegations to discredit our members or divert attention from failures of representation and leadership,” the statement concluded. “San Fernando East is greater than any one officeholder, personality or surname. Our responsibility remains service to the people, loyalty to the Party and respect for the democratic institutions upon which the People’s National Movement was built.”

A cloud of uncertainty has hung over Trinidad and Tobago’s national security establishment this week after Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro took unannounced emergency leave to travel outside the country, with senior government officials refusing to disclose the specific circumstances behind his sudden departure.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who also serves as chair of the country’s National Security Council (NSC), reaffirmed on yesterday that classified national security interests would prevent any public release of details surrounding Guevarro’s trip. The Prime Minister confirmed that the top law enforcement official completed all required administrative protocols before leaving the jurisdiction, adding that she received full briefings both ahead of his departure and following his return to the country.

Guevarro himself broke his silence on the matter earlier this week with a publicly released audio statement, offering a high-level explanation for his absence without revealing sensitive details. He stated that the trip was prompted by undisclosed information received on August 10 from the director of the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) and the head of the Special Branch. Following this intelligence, Guevarro submitted an application for five days of emergency leave to Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander, who approved the request. The commissioner added that official documentation of his leave was properly forwarded to the Police Service Commission (PolSC) as required by regulation.

The opposition has raised sharp questions about Guevarro’s sudden absence, specifically criticizing the failure to appoint an acting commissioner of police to fill the role during his time out of the country. Guevarro pushed back against these claims in his audio message, rejecting assertions that his unplanned leave created a leadership crisis within the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS). He clarified that the appointment of an acting commissioner falls outside the mandate of the TTPS or the sitting commissioner, noting that the process is legally defined and managed by relevant statutory bodies.

After returning to Trinidad and Tobago, Guevarro completed required debriefings with both the NSC chair and the Homeland Security Minister, and has since declined to answer any additional questions about the trip, directing all further enquiries to the two senior officials. Both Persad-Bissessar and Alexander have refused to comment on the triggering circumstances of the leave, while PolSC chairman Dr Wendell Wallace has not responded to repeated attempts by reporters to reach him for comment since Sunday.

To clarify the legal framework governing acting appointments for the police commissioner post, the process is laid out explicitly in Section 123 of Trinidad and Tobago’s Constitution. Unlike routine administrative roles, the TTPS cannot automatically appoint an interim commissioner when the substantive holder leaves the country. Instead, the PolSC holds the constitutional authority to nominate a candidate for acting commissioner or deputy commissioner. Under subsection 3 of Section 123, the PolSC must forward the nominated name to the President of Trinidad and Tobago, after which the President issues an official notification of the nomination. This notification must then receive approval via an affirmative resolution from the House of Representatives before the acting appointment can go into effect.

This formal process was followed most recently in October 2025, when Guevarro traveled to Denver, Colorado, to attend the International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference and Exposition. For that scheduled five-day trip, the PolSC nominated Deputy Commissioner Junior Benjamin to serve as acting commissioner, with Assistant Commissioner Curt Simon nominated to act as deputy commissioner in Benjamin’s place. The President’s notification of the nominations was tabled in the House of Representatives on October 10, and parliament ultimately approved both acting appointments, with government MPs explicitly noting the appointments were necessary to cover Guevarro’s authorized travel.

Currently, the House of Representatives is in scheduled recess and is not set to reconvene until September, creating a procedural gap that would prevent the approval of any acting appointment even if the PolSC moved forward with a nomination. This context has deepened opposition questions over why the emergency leave proceeded without prior arrangements for interim leadership, even as government and law enforcement officials continue to cite national security confidentiality to avoid releasing details of the trip.

The People’s National Movement (PNM), Trinidad and Tobago’s long-standing 70-year-old political party, has drawn a firm line against public airing of internal factional disputes, after one of its sitting Members of Parliament went public with unaddressed concerns over irregularities in his home constituency.

Marvin Gonzales, chairman of the PNM, issued a formal public warning this week that the national party leadership will refuse to engage in open, public back-and-forth exchanges over internal conflicts between party members. The statement came in direct response to public complaints posted to Facebook by Brian Manning, the PNM MP for the San Fernando East constituency, who outlined a series of unaddressed grievances about local party operations that he said had not been resolved through internal channels.

At the core of Manning’s criticisms is overlapping leadership held by Patricia Alexis, who serves simultaneously as San Fernando East constituency chairman, the PNM’s assistant national general secretary, a San Fernando East delegate to the party’s General Council, and a sitting member of the party’s national Central Executive. Manning said rank-and-file constituency members have raised concerns that this combination of senior roles at both the local and national level could undermine impartial decision-making when constituency issues are reviewed at the national party level.

Manning also questioned the outcome of a recent constituency executive election, noting that an unpublicized vacant position was filled by a candidate little-known to long-standing constituency members who reportedly has close personal ties to Alexis. Local members have characterized this appointment process as non-transparent and inconsistent with the PNM’s written constitution, according to Manning. The MP further added that many constituency members have grown increasingly uneasy over the unexplained affluence of some sitting members of the local constituency executive, a concern he brought to the national party’s attention.

Contrary to Manning’s claims that the party had failed to address his complaints, Gonzales outlined the steps the national leadership has already taken to resolve the dispute internally. He confirmed that back in July 2026, after receiving formal correspondence from both Manning and Alexis, the PNM General Council convened an independent inquiry team with clearly defined, pre-approved Terms of Reference to investigate all raised issues related to the San Fernando East constituency.

The inquiry has already concluded its evidence gathering phase: the appointed team met separately with both Manning and Alexis, accepted formal statements and testimony from the pair and their respective witnesses, and ultimately submitted a full written report with detailed findings and actionable recommendations to the party leadership. That report has already been reviewed by the PNM’s Central Executive and full General Council, Gonzales said, and implementation of the report’s recommendations is already underway, with the internal resolution process ongoing.

Gonzales emphasized that the PNM, as a democratic political movement with seven decades of service to Trinidad and Tobago, has long navigated internal disagreements between members. He noted that tensions between parliamentary representatives and local constituency executives are not uncommon, particularly in the period immediately following internal constituency elections.

Rejecting calls for public adjudication of the dispute, Gonzales argued that open public exchanges of accusations and counter-accusations do nothing to resolve the underlying challenges facing the San Fernando East constituency. “They risk prejudicing the process, damaging individual reputations and undermining the very institutions upon which all members must ultimately rely,” he cautioned. He called on all party members to respect the PNM’s constitution and internal processes, and refrain from publicly debating matters that are already under formal review by the General Council.

“For seven decades, our strength as a movement, has rested on respect for the Party’s structure and processes, on allowing all parties to be heard and on recognising that our institution must remain stronger than any individual disagreement,” Gonzales said. He gave a formal assurance that the national party leadership and General Council remain fully committed to working collaboratively with Manning, Alexis, and all San Fernando East constituency members to reach a fair, lasting resolution to the current dispute.

“The Party will not be drawn into publicly adjudicating allegations concerning individual members while that work continues,” Gonzales reaffirmed. He added that the PNM has endured for 70 years because generations of members have understood that the organization as a whole is bigger than any individual or any single disagreement, and that every member serves as a temporary steward of the party’s larger mission. While differences of opinion and strongly held beliefs are inevitable, Gonzales said all members bear a responsibility to resolve disputes through fair, disciplined process that upholds mutual respect for fellow members and the party itself. “The Leadership of the People’s National Movement remains committed to doing exactly that,” he concluded.

Amid swirling public speculation and political scrutiny over his unannounced five-day overseas trip earlier this month, Trinidad and Tobago Police Commissioner Allister Guevarro has broken his silence, releasing a nearly three-minute audio recording to local media that defends his actions, rejects claims of institutional crisis, and pushes back against efforts to politicize his absence.

Guevarro explained that his decision to apply for emergency leave was prompted by sensitive intelligence received on August 10 from the director of the Strategic Services Agency (SSA) and the head of the Special Branch. Following formal protocol, he submitted his leave application to Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander, who granted approval, with official correspondence then forwarded to the Police Service Commission (PolSC) as required by regulation.

“I followed the requirements of the established process and I breached no protocols or policies,” Guevarro stressed in the recording, pushing back on narrative that frame his unplanned absence as a violation of institutional rules. While he declined to disclose specific details of the intelligence that prompted his travel, he dismissed a string of circulating rumors that offered unconfirmed explanations for the trip, including claims that he was receiving urgent medical treatment, investigating unexplained foreign assets held by local figures, or traveling to revoke visas for a list of targeted individuals. Guevarro emphasized that upon his return to Trinidad and Tobago, he fully debriefed both the chair of the National Security Council (NSC) — which is led by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar — and Homeland Security Minister Alexander, and directed all further inquiries on the purpose of his travel to those authorities.

Crucially, Guevarro rejected widespread claims that his temporary absence created a leadership vacuum or destabilized the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS). He noted that the force is built on a hierarchical, contingency-ready framework designed to maintain operational continuity during temporary gaps in senior leadership, with trained executive officers prepared to step in to uphold stability.

“Leadership transitions, temporary or otherwise, are not a crisis. They are part of the organisation’s design,” Guevarro said. “As for those who felt that Rome was burning in my absence, I want to reassure you that the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service is an institution built on structure, continuity and contingency.” He also criticized actors who have sought to manufacture controversy and politicize the situation, adding a sharp rebuke: “To those who chose to politicise the matter and attempted to manufacture scandal and bacchanal, all I will say is this, your petticoat is showing.”

Asked for comment on Guevarro’s statement Wednesday, Minister Alexander offered only a brief, favorable response: “A responsible (Commissioner of Police) who is in charge of a responsible institution giving a very responsible response.”

During Guevarro’s absence, the most senior executive TTPS officer, Deputy Commissioner Junior Benjamin, has overseen day-to-day operations of the force. Speaking with local outlet *Express* earlier this week, Benjamin confirmed that there is no leadership or administrative breakdown within the service, noting that the force has operated successfully under similar temporary arrangements in the past.

Benjamin also explained why no formal acting commissioner had been appointed, clarifying that the legal process requires PolSC to submit a nominee to the President, who then forwards the nomination to Parliament for review before the appointment can be finalized. With Parliament currently in recess, the formal appointment process cannot move forward at this time, a situation that has occurred previously without disrupting TTPS operations. “There’s no problem in terms of proper administration and leadership at the TTPS at this time,” Benjamin affirmed. Benjamin is no stranger to stepping into the top role, having previously served as acting commissioner in October 2025, and already assumed acting duties during the tenures of past substantive commissioners Erla Harewood-Christopher and McDonald Jacob.

The controversy has drawn attention from Trinidad and Tobago’s opposition, with People’s National Movement (PNM) chairman Marvin Gonzales calling for full transparency from the ruling government. Speaking Saturday following the PNM General Council meeting in Port of Spain’s Balisier House, Gonzales demanded clear answers from both Alexander and Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar, pressing for details on Guevarro’s location, departure date, and the status of an acting appointment.

Trinidad and Tobago’s national crime-reduction strategy is set to retain a key new security infrastructure beyond the country’s current state of emergency (SoE), with Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander confirming that a portion of the newly built joint army-police fortified posts will become permanent fixtures across the islands.

Alexander made this official announcement during an exclusive tour of a completed bullet-proof post at the Tarouba flyover in San Fernando, organized for local newspaper the Express on Tuesday. The fully enclosed, air-conditioned facility features a suite of functional amenities tailored for ongoing officer use: a dedicated front reception area, a compact kitchen space, a full washroom with toilet and shower, and two flexible interview rooms that can be reconfigured for alternate operational needs. Mounted surveillance cameras on the roof feed real-time footage of surrounding areas directly to on-site officers, enabling constant monitoring of nearby activity, including northbound and southbound traffic on the adjacent Sir Solomon Hochoy Highway.

Highlighting the strategic value of the Tarouba location, Alexander explained that the post’s elevated position allows for rapid intervention in developing situations, from high-speed vehicle chases to routine traffic incidents. “It’s in a strategic position that could be used for operational speed and support to other police officers,” he noted. “Take, for instance, if there is a high-speed chase. Officers can emerge from here and become part of that chase or do an interception at short notice.”

The initiative, first unveiled by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar on August 3, calls for 30 of these specialized posts to be rolled out across communities across Trinidad and Tobago over a four-month period. Unlike temporary security deployments implemented during the current SoE, which is scheduled to expire on September 17, 2026, the permanent posts are designed as a sustained solution to rising community safety concerns.

Alexander emphasized that the project is not a hasty policy response, but the outcome of months of detailed strategic planning to improve law enforcement effectiveness. “We thought about the response. We thought about how best this could serve Trinidad and Tobago in the crime-fighting effort,” he said. Beyond crime prevention and rapid response, the posts are also intended to serve as community engagement hubs, bridging the gap between law enforcement and local residents to build public trust. Pointing to early activity at the already completed post at Eddie Hart Grounds in Tacarigua, Alexander noted that the accessible locations encourage foot traffic from community members, creating regular opportunities for interaction. “We want the public to have trust in the police, we want police officers to go in the communities, talk to the persons in the church, the schools, the businesspeople… neighbourhood… We want that kind of communication,” he added.

In line with the Prime Minister’s earlier announcement, Alexander reaffirmed that the initiative directly responds to longstanding community requests for increased visible security, empowering residents to reclaim public spaces that have been impacted by criminal activity. Operational details, including the full scope of CCTV coverage across the network of posts, remain undisclosed for national security reasons. “I can only tell you this much. We can see enough to respond, defend and protect,” Alexander said.

Staffing for each post will be determined jointly by the Commissioner of Police and the Chief of Defence Staff, with posts manned by combined teams of Trinidad and Tobago Police Service officers and Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force members. The government is currently working to assign dedicated patrol vehicles to each post to boost rapid response capabilities, and the National Operations Centre will provide intelligence support to the network, aligning the initiative with a broader data-driven security strategy. The timeline for rolling out the remaining uncompleted posts will be set by the Prime Minister, who chairs the National Security Council.

Addressing public criticism of the project and questions around construction costs and contracted vendors, Alexander pushed back against concerns, stating there is “nothing to hide” and full cost and procurement details will be released to the public at a later date. He dismissed critics as uninformed, noting that similar security infrastructure models have delivered successful crime reduction outcomes in other countries. “We are thinking advanced policing. And again, some persons will have issues with it. They don’t understand. They don’t read. They don’t look at the nations that are successful in some of the operations because of what they are implementing,” he said.

Confident that the permanent posts will deliver meaningful improvements to national safety, Alexander framed the initiative as a holistic, long-term approach to crime fighting that combines tactical deployment, rapid response capabilities and intentional community engagement. “The strategy used, as I said before, is one that is tactical, responsive, and communicative,” he said, adding that the permanent infrastructure will strengthen law enforcement capacity long after the current state of emergency expires.

A growing rift between Trinidad and Tobago’s Communication Workers’ Union (CWU) and state-owned Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT) has escalated this week, with CWU Secretary General Joanne Ogeer issuing a stark warning of coming turmoil as long-stalled negotiations and unaddressed worker grievances remain unresolved.

Speaking at a press conference hosted at the union’s Port of Spain headquarters, Ogeer laid out the union’s core demands: workers are only seeking compensation and resolution that they are legally owed, she said, while placing direct blame for the impasse at the feet of Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath, accusing him of refusing to meaningfully engage with the union’s concerns.

In comments that underscored the CWU’s political independence, Ogeer stressed that the union has no formal ties or loyalty to any of Trinidad and Tobago’s major political parties, including the ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) and the opposition United National Congress (UNC). As a non-member of the UNC-led Coalition of Interest – a 2025 general election political alliance that includes several major trade unions such as the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union, Public Services Association (PSA), Transport and Industrial Workers Union, Trinidad and Tobago Postal Workers’ Union, and Fire Service Association – Ogeer said the CWU expected to be sidelined by the current administration.

Beyond the government, Ogeer directed sharp criticism at TSTT chairman Kern Dass, accusing him of launching unprovoked attacks on the union and its leadership. “We are not warring with the minister, we are warring against anybody that oppressing workers and we are going to be warring with Kern Dass,” she stated.

Ogeer contrasted the CWU’s deadlocked negotiations with the recent breakthrough in wage talks between the PSA and government at the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), where Padarath intervened to break the impasse and reaffirm the government’s commitment to reaching a fair agreement. For the CWU, Ogeer said, no such intervention is needed – the union only demands fair treatment from officials and TSTT management. “I don’t want a hug up; all I want you to do is to be fair,” she added.

The conflict comes after Padarath pushed back against the union over the weekend, saying the government would not be intimidated by CWU pressure and denying that any formal discussions of a 10% wage increase have taken place. Padarath also noted that any wage adjustment must account for TSTT’s long-term financial sustainability, even after the company posted recent profitable results.

Ogeer rejected the government’s claims, refuting assertions that the union is attempting to intimidate or bully officials, and challenging claims that the wage discussions lack a factual basis. She confirmed that the CWU has held two formal negotiating sessions with TSTT management, most recently on July 9 with six union representatives in attendance, where the union reviewed the company’s full financial data in detail.

Far from pushing for an unaffordable wage hike, Ogeer said the CWU deliberately structured its demands to align with the $60 million maximum figure TSTT management itself said the company could afford. “We crunched the numbers,” she explained. “It was at that juncture that the company and the union sat down, not just to give workers money but to ensure that when workers get that money that they worked so hard for it doesn’t break the company.”

She issued a public challenge to TSTT Corporate Services Vice-President Roshan Babwah to publicly deny the union’s account of negotiations, saying the union is now calling for a formal investigation into statements Babwah made that created a legitimate expectation of a breakthrough agreement. Ogeer also said she has lost confidence in Babwah, alleging he previously told her that TSTT leadership planned to undermine the CWU, dismissing it as a small organization with only 300 members.

Beyond wage negotiations, Ogeer raised serious questions about TSTT’s recruitment and hiring practices, specifically calling out the alleged improper appointment of a staff member to the company’s legal department and a new corporate secretary. She said the CWU filed a Freedom of Information request to obtain details of the hiring process, and alleged the appointee has close political ties, lacks sufficient relevant experience, and was hired outside the formal competitive interview process. Ogeer accused Padarath of being aware of the alleged irregularities but choosing to ignore them. She also raised concerns about long-term acting employees who have not received permanent confirmation of their positions years after taking on the roles.

Despite the escalating confrontation, Ogeer moved quickly to reassure TSTT customers that the union has no plans to disrupt public telecommunications services amid the dispute. “Customers, we value you, fear not, we are not going to disrupt your service, we will not do anything that will affect you…we are here to make sure you get good service,” she said.

As of press time, local media outlet the Express had attempted to contact Kern Dass for comment on the union’s allegations via WhatsApp, but had not received a response.