The decision to call out some 400 reserves was taken during a meeting of the National Security Council on Tuesday, Persad Bissessar told reporters in Port of Spain on Wednesday (23rd February) where police and soldiers were on an exercise.
She said the decision had nothing to do with threats by police officers to stage “sick out” action in protest of the five percent increase in salaries offered by the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO).
Persad Bissessar also stated that she does not believe the police will intensify their action and confirmed that she intends to meet with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Social Welfare Association executive next week.
Police officers have been asking the government for a 40 percent increase in salary and according to government officials, the government could afford a 5 percent increase. The officers, obviously not pleased with the government’s offer, protested in the form of two consecutive days of sick outs action during last week, temporarily affecting security at the private residences of Persad Bissessar, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan and Chief Justice Ivor Archie.
(Content for this article was taken from a Caribbeannewsnow news release)