The Government of Trinidad and Tobago has terminated the contracts of 400 workers employed under the Unemployment Relief Programme (URP), sparking backlash from the opposition People’s National Movement (PNM), union representatives, and affected workers.
According to Trinidad Guardian, termination letters were distributed on Wednesday across the URP’s 12 regional offices. Rural Development and Local Government Minister Khadijah Ameen confirmed the decision, describing it as part of a restructuring exercise aimed at tackling decades of entrenched corruption within the programme.
Rejecting accusations of political victimisation, Ameen defended the move during an interview at her Tunapuna constituency office. “For decades, whenever there is a change in government, they would fire all the persons working in URP and replace them with people who are politically aligned to the government. This time, we did not do that,” she said.
“Quite frankly, if we operated like the PNM, all of those people would have been sent home as soon as the election was finished. We did not do that. So, we are not victimising anyone,” she added.
According to Ameen, recent audits uncovered irregularities such as “ghost gangs” and workers listed on the payroll but never reporting to duty. She cited one case where a senior staff member’s daughter, studying in Jamaica, remained on the payroll as a full-time office worker.
The PNM strongly condemned the move. Party chairman Marvin Gonzales urged citizens to rally against what he called “a rampaging and unhinged UNC Government.” “This is not about politics. It is about saving T&T,” he declared.
The URP, long viewed as a “make-work” programme, has been repeatedly criticised for inefficiency and corruption. The latest dismissals have reignited debate about the future of the scheme and its role in providing employment for vulnerable citizens.
