Moonilal condemns dismissal of CEPEP contractors and almost 12,000 workers

I strongly condemn the planned move to arbitrarily dismiss contractors and almost 12,000 workers of The Cepep Company Limited.

The publicly-advertised plan would displace several contractors who have invested in equipment and are the employers of thousands of dedicated working class citizens.

This harsh and oppressive measure is taking place on the eve of the start of the school year, when parents are required to spend significant sums on their children’s future.

The dismissals of contractors and workers are further severe elements of the dismantling of key aspects of the operations of the State-run environmental company.

The People’s Partnership Administration had carefully developed, nurtured and expanded the remit of The Cepep Company Limited, to make it an all-embracing organisation involved in extensive and continuous environmental protection and improvement. The company’s sphere of activities extended to marine and non-traditional environmental functions.

Indeed, as the line Minister for Cepep, I was particularly pleased with the role and performance of the organisation, its contractors and dedicated employees.

The move to summarily sack contractors and workers paves the way for the installation of more friends, relatives and political associates of the PNM government, in a manner similar to what is taking place across the State sector.

This adds to the destabilisation that is already evident through the loss of jobs, increased taxes and reduction in funding of essential programmes, such as GATE, and other stringent and repressive measures.

I call on the government to reconsider its ill-advised plan for Cepep, and to safeguard and sustain contractors and the thousands of employees.

Dr. Roodal Moonilal,
Member of Parliament for Oropouche East,
Former Minister of Housing and Urban Development.