标签： Trinidad and Tobago

A troubling pattern of solicitation by garbage collection personnel has emerged in Mount Hope, Trinidad, prompting serious community concerns about professional conduct in municipal services. The issue gained attention following a resident’s detailed account published in Newsday’s Letters to Editor section.

The situation presents a stark contrast to the traditional appreciation for sanitation workers, recently celebrated in Scrunter’s 2025 parang musical tribute honoring garbage collectors’ contributions to community welfare.

According to Linus F Didier, a local resident, incidents of improper solicitation have occurred multiple times. On the Sunday preceding Divali celebrations, while garbage collection was rescheduled due to the holiday, a collector allegedly approached residents requesting money “to buy a doubles” while visibly holding a half-consumed beer bottle. When ignored, the individual proceeded to make similar requests to female neighbors.

This was not an isolated occurrence. Several months earlier, around 5:15 AM, the same individual reportedly solicited funds “to buy some tea” from residents. These incidents stand in sharp contrast to the previously excellent service record maintained by retired crew members who served the Mt Hope area for years without such complaints.

The community has expressed particular concern about the safety implications, especially for female residents approached by sanitation workers during collection hours. The incidents have raised questions about worker supervision and professional standards within the contracted services.

Residents are calling for intervention from the San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation, urging officials to address these issues with their contractors while still acknowledging the valuable service provided by ethical garbage collectors throughout Trinidad and Tobago.

A resident of Mt Hope has raised serious concerns about the conduct of newly appointed garbage collectors serving the community, highlighting a stark contrast with previous service providers. In a letter to the editor, Linus F Didier detailed multiple unsettling encounters with sanitation workers employed by a contractor for the San Juan/Laventille Regional Corporation.

The most recent incident occurred on the Sunday preceding Divali celebrations, when a garbage collector approached the resident while holding a half-consumed bottle of beer and explicitly requested “$20 to buy a doubles.” When ignored, the worker proceeded to make the same monetary solicitation to a female neighbor, creating what the author described as an “incredibly disconcerting” situation, particularly for the woman involved.

This was not an isolated occurrence. Several months earlier, around 5:15 in the morning, the same individual had approached the resident seeking money “to buy some tea.” These incidents represent a dramatic departure from the previously excellent service standards maintained by retired crew members who had served the Mt Hope area for years.

The letter writer contrasted these experiences with Scrunter’s 2025 parang tribute to garbage collectors, which celebrates their valuable contributions to society. While expressing overall appreciation for sanitation workers’ essential services, the author called on the regional corporation to address the contractor’s personnel issues promptly.

The correspondence concludes with holiday greetings to all garbage collectors throughout Trinidad and Tobago, acknowledging their important work while emphasizing the need for professional conduct during service operations.

In a significant legal development, Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) President General Ancel Roget has initiated defamation proceedings against former Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley concerning a social media post from August 2022. The lawsuit centers on allegations that Rowley’s official Facebook publication falsely associated Roget with criminal activities and attempts to undermine national stability.

The contentious post, which garnered substantial social media engagement with over 1,000 reactions and 300 shares, allegedly suggested Roget and the opposition United National Congress (UNC) had encouraged highway blockages and supported groups involved in metal theft operations. Roget maintains these assertions were entirely baseless and manufactured without evidence.

Legal documents indicate the labor leader immediately sought retraction through pre-action protocol correspondence on the same day the post appeared. Despite these efforts, no correction or apology was forthcoming. Instead, Rowley’s legal representatives reportedly denied defamation claims in an October 2022 response, invoking defenses of justification and fair comment.

Roget’s legal team argues the statements carried exceptional weight due to Rowley’s position as sitting prime minister at the time, potentially exacerbating public hostility toward the union leader. The plaintiff emphatically denies any involvement with or endorsement of illegal activities, emphasizing his longstanding commitment to lawful industrial advocacy.

The lawsuit seeks comprehensive remedies including full retraction of the allegations, a formal public apology, and financial compensation for reputational damage. Roget is represented by attorneys Kiel Taklalsingh, Leon Kalicharan, Matthew Allahar, and Johanna Richards in this high-profile legal confrontation.

In a surprising twist of medical workforce dynamics, Trinidad and Tobago faces the paradoxical situation of simultaneously experiencing a physician shortage and surplus. While healthcare facilities remain overwhelmed with patient demand, approximately 300 new medical graduates enter the system annually, with 7,345 doctors currently registered with the Medical Board.

Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s administration has proposed an innovative solution: establishing a partnership with Guyana that would enable 50 local doctors to practice there. This initiative, announced on December 7, represents a strategic approach to addressing structural issues within the healthcare sector.

The core problem lies in the experience gap faced by recent graduates. Despite completing internships, these new physicians are often perceived as insufficiently experienced for full positions, creating a professional catch-22 where they cannot gain experience without employment opportunities.

Beyond the graduate experience dilemma, systemic challenges persist. Health authorities have consistently failed to hire adequate medical personnel, despite the World Health Organization reporting that physician density per 1,000 people doubled between 2010 and 2020. This understaffing affects both doctors and nurses, with health facilities remaining insufficiently expanded to meet population demands.

Additional complicating factors include the declining tradition of visiting local general practitioners, which has reduced opportunities for new graduates, and allegations of medical equipment worth $100 million being left to deteriorate at the Couva facility opened in 2015.

The proposed Guyana partnership offers multiple benefits: providing employment for emerging practitioners, breaking the experience-employment cycle, advancing regional integration, and potentially reducing pressure on domestic healthcare systems. While 50 doctors may not solve the entire problem, it represents a meaningful step toward addressing complex healthcare workforce challenges.