Port of Spain: Workers stage protest over wage delays, decline in Christmas sales

Trinidad and Tobago: Hundreds of workers gathered to stage a protest against the government of Trinidad and Tobago with the demands of better wages and good working conditions at the port of Port of Spain. 

Due to the protest and regular rallies, the businesses and Christmas sale at Port of Port of Spain have crumbled this season, marking a low income. Tourists who arrive at the port by cruise or ferry are encountered with the situation where workers were seen raising slogans against the government and demanding efficient wages. 

The protest led the tourists to call off their pre-booked tours and exploration with a sense of threat at Trinidad and Tobago. They also neglected the offerings at the port and avoided buying any souvenirs as part of their travel, harshly impacting the small and local businesses that are purely based on the cruise arrivals. 

Reason behind the protest

The workers staged the protest to express their disappointment over the continuous delay in the wages and poor working conditions in Port of Port of Spain. According to workers, they have not received their wages for their work and the bad conditions also threatened their safety and security. 

The protest was staged in August 2024 with workers walking off their jobs and the problem has not taken any shape of conclusion. 

Winter Season 2024/2025 faced low sales in Trinidad and Tobago

During the cruise season 2024/2025, Port of Port of Spain welcomes thousands of passengers in one day with the calls of cruise ships. Due to this, small businesses including street vendors, tour guides, taxi operators, artisans, crafters, hoteliers and other enterprises experienced significant boost with tourist arrivals and investment. 

However, this year has remained different for the workers and small business as sales are not even showing stable trends as they are lower than the previous seasons. The tourism sector has also been expecting a downfall in tourist arrivals due to the protest, raising concerns about the daily wagers. 

Even during the Christmas festivities, the season has been running dull for the workers and small business holders due to the low influx of tourists. 

Economist’s approach toward low Christmas Sale

Renowned Economist Dr Vaalmikki Arjoon shared insights on low Christmas sale and called it concerning issue for the tourism economy of Trinidad and Tobago. He said that the government of Trinidad and Tobago could handle the situation effectively as the cabinet can support the workers by increasing their wages in a timely manner. 

He noted that the cabinet is aware of the backlog in the market, so they must jump into the matter and resolve the issues of the workers. He also suggested the government increase the period of paying port rent for workers and cited that this will provide relief to the business community. 

Dr Arjoon further touched on the custom sector by saying that the control over the custom duty can provide immediate relief to the businesses. 

Crime Situation Impacted Sales

Notably, the arrival of the tourists was also largely impacted by the crime incidents in Trinidad and Tobago as the activities have threatened the arrivals. 

Small Business holder Vivek Charran noted that the criminal activities have hindered the growth of the tourism sector as tourists would not want to spend their holidays in such countries. The cruise sector is necessary for businesses; however, this season has remained quite a failure for small business. 

He also demanded actions against these activities and asked the government to support the small businesses. 

Protests in Trinidad and Tobago

Over the period of last two months, Trinidad and Tobago faced series of protest due to different issues in different communities. Earlier in November 2024, the trade union members and other citizens gathered on the streets of Queen’s Park Savannah against the Salaries Review Commission. 

The protestors showcased their disagreement over the decision of the government to increase the salaries of the Prime Minister, President, Opposition Leader, Judges and other officials.