Over 11,000 CEPEP Workers Terminated in Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago: More than 11,000 workers employed under the Community Based Environmental Protection and Enhancement Programme (CEPEP) have been terminated, sparking public outrage and a political chaos across Trinidad and Tobago. While government officials claim the move is part of efforts to streamline and reform the programme’s operations, critics have condemned it as a politically motivated purge.

The termination letters are dated to June 2024 and are officially signed by CEPEP chief executive officer Keith Eddy. These were issued to the contractors, and they were informed that their contracts have been cancelled immediately under clause 15.1 of the 2022 agreement. The affected contractors were offered payment in regard to the notice and were instructed to return all the property within 7 days.  

On Friday, dozens of CEPEP contractors gathered outside the agency’s Ste Madeleine Headquarters to protest the decision. The contractors together voiced for job security while highlighting that the new school term is drawing close.  

“All contractors were called in and given termination letters with immediate effect,” said field officer Anicia Williams-Penny. “From Monday, there’ll be no CEPEP workers. Thousands of families are now on the breadline. Politics aside, people are hurting.” 

One of the contractors shed light that even recently renewed contracts were cancelled without warning. “Over 12,000 people, including mothers and fathers are jobless as of tomorrow. This is devastating. People have back-to-school expenses, books, uniforms and food” 

Government officials respond  

In the parliament session held on June 21, the Minister of Local Government and Rural development Khadijah Ameen defended the mass termination decision and claimed that CEPEP had been misused by PNM. She alleged that the contracts were offered to the relatives of ministers and CEPEP workers were coerced into attending political rallies.  

Recently, during the 2025 General elections held in Trinidad and Tobago, reports also emerged that CEPEP workers were forced to join the political rallies and vote PNM or else they will be terminated. The incident led to severe backlash both against CEPEP authorities and the PNM.