Guardian ( Trinidad and Tobago )
29 December 2022 ( Page 8 )
PSA accused of illegally extending president’s term
By Chester Sambrano
The legal wranglings within the Public Services Association
(PSA) have taken another turn with claims that the executive
illegally amended the union’s constitution to extend the term
of president Leroy Baptiste past the retirement age of 60.
The PSA held a Special General Council and Special Conference
yesterday after it was ordered to do so by High Court Judge
Frank Seepersad.
The union was taken to court by five members—Curtis Cuffie,
Demetrius Harrison, Annisha Persad, Curtis Meade and Duaine
Hewitt— and Justice Seepersad froze all its assets and only
allowed it to pay salaries.
However, one of the claimants, Duaine Hewitt, said at
yesterday’s meeting the executive moved a motion to amend
the constitution to allow Baptiste to stay in the role of
president after he turns 60 on January 11 next year.
He said based on the agenda set out by the judge, there was
supposed to be a discussion with the General Council on the
filling of executive positions.
“What the executive did was add an additional item to the
agenda which is amending the constitution to allow the
president to go beyond 60 years. That is what they did in
breach of the court order,” he said.
Hewitt claimed the General Council was not properly
constituted as many members were not allowed into the virtual
meeting.
He added that what made it worse was how some of the
members present were treated when they attempted to raise
objections.
“When we had our hands raised, because it was a virtual
meeting, they refused to acknowledge our hands and when we
unmuted our mics they blocked us from commenting,” he
complained.
Hewitt raised serious issues with the decisions taken at the
virtual setting.
“With respect to democracy you must know who your voters
are. We don’t know who the people in the virtual meeting are,
whether they exist, or whether is ghost,” he said.
He said based on the amendment Baptiste now stays in office
as president of the union until national PSA elections in
December 2024.
“We will have to go back to court. This is a flagrant, flagrant
breach of the court order,” he said.
Hewitt said the matter is scheduled to go before a judge on
January 6.
Several attempts to contact PSA president Leroy Baptiste on
the claims were futile.
The injunction granted against the PSA on December 15
prohibits the union from disposing of or dealing with or
diminishing the value of any of the PSA assets, whether they
are in or outside T&T, whether in its own name or not and
whether solely or jointly owned, save and except to pay salaries
of employees.
The injunction applies to all of the PSA’s assets, including
accounts at RBC, JMMB, Republic Bank, Scotiabank, Unit Trust
Corporation, Trintoplan Investment and Plipdeco, as well as
four vehicles.
Four days later, Justice Seepersad ordered that the PSA be
restrained from holding any general council meetings, except
meetings regarding the conduct of section elections.
PICTURE KERWIN PIERRE-
PSA president Leroy Baptiste