–a triumph for ‘good sense’
IT IS a very rare occurrence when the vast majority of a workforce in the public sector choose to report for normal duties instead of heeding a call by their bargaining agent to ‘rest and reflect’ — basically a euphemism for strike action. But this is precisely what happened this past Monday when at least eighty (80) per cent of the ranks of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Force turned up for work while less than 300 of their colleagues were engaged in a so-called ‘rest and reflection’ exercise as urged by the Police Service Social and Welfare Association (PSSWA) over a pay hike dispute with the government.
By their action to report for professional duties, the T&T cops would have raised the bar on commitment to ‘protect and serve’ the public — consistent with an admirable oath by police officers in this and other regions of the world.
It was evidently a poor misreading by the Police Association of the mood of its own membership as well as that of the public at large in relation to an ongoing pay hike dispute involving public sector workers.
Editorials in various sections of the media were variously signalling that industrial action by the police force — custodian of peace and security in a democratic state — could not be in the national interest, and may well run counter to the public’s thinking and sympathy.
Well, as the saying goes: Wisdom often dawns after the event. And the PSSWA had failed to consider the harsh reality that, whatever their political affinities or persuasions, the ranks of a police service in the Caribbean rarely, if ever, abandon their professional duties in favour of industrial action — disguised, as ‘rest and reflection’ or else.
The more so when a Police Force would be conscious of criminal elements seeking to exploit an industrial relations dispute involving their ranks and the government at a time of rampaging criminality — a current phenomenon plaguing not just Trinidad and Tobago, but also Jamaica, Guyana, The Bahamas, St. Lucia and even Barbados, reputedly the once ‘pastoral society’ in this region.

Political mixing
In the current case involving T&T, political leaders, among them Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, and Opposition Leader Keith Rowley would also have become wiser after the failed threat of a general shutdown in the police services over the unresolved dispute of a proposed five per cent pay hike.
Having earlier been misguided into making a link between party politics and the threatened ‘sick-out’ (read that to mean police withholding their services), the Prime Minister was to rejoice by Monday afternoon when realization dawned of a resounding failure of the planned day of ‘rest and reflection’, as she effusively expressed her gratitude to an estimated 80 per cent of police ranks who reported for duty at their places of work.
In multi-racial, multi-party parliamentary democracies, politicians, even experienced ones, are often inclined to raise the red-flag of ‘politics’ when confronted with uncomfortable challenges. This is true of those in government, as it is for the opposition.
Take, for example, the post-‘rest-and-reflection’ stance by leader of the People’s  National Movement (PNM) Dr. Rowley, a former cabinet minister who succeeded ex-Prime Minister Patrick Manning as the party’s leader.
While the government’s interventions with the Police Association against threatened industrial action were occurring, Rowley could not bring himself to publicly state that the “PNM supports no illegal action.” He was, however, quick to telegraph such a message, once the so-called ‘sick-out’ had flopped miserably. 
Undoubtedly, the hang-tough stance by the Prime Minister against any industrial action by the police, or other workers in essential services, would have had some effect. But it would be dangerous for the government to seek to sanction those police officers who may have been influenced into staying off the job with their ‘rest and reflection’ tactic.
Those union leaders whose fiery rhetoric often carry doomsday messages may well have failed to analyse the cracks that first surfaced within the organised labour movement when, back in April, the Public Service Association (PSA) settled its dispute with government by accepting the five per cent hike on the basis of ‘various fringe benefits’ that were attached to the package.
Finance Minister, Winston Dookeran has perhaps been the most consistent of government spokespersons, during the five per cent pay-hike negotiations, in articulating that it was a misnomer to speak against the proposed five per cent offer WITHOUT taking into consideration also the package of ‘fringe benefits’. For signing the accord with government, the PSA’s Watson Duke had to bear the heavy cross of bitter criticisms from within the labour movement.

Editorials
Yet, it would be a display of political myopia for the government to resort to crowing against the backdrop of the accord signed with the PSA in April, or Monday’s collapse of planned industrial action by the police, masked as ‘a day of rest and reflection’.
If the government and people of Trinidad and Tobago are now breathing a great sigh of relief that the threatened undermining of national peace and security did not materialise because of the maturity displayed by at least 80 per cent of the ranks of the police force, they should also be aware that it is a feeling shared elsewhere within CARICOM by citizens who generally do NOT like the ranks of their domestic police force resorting to strike action.
In its editorial last Tuesday, titled ‘Dangerous Police Move Down in T&T’, the Barbados ‘Daily Nation’ commented:  “We can only hope that that good sense prevails and dialogue replaces unilateral and illegal actions. Strike action by the police is a dangerous development for any nation.” 
Well, in reporting for normal duties on Monday, the overwhelming majority of officers of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Force have clearly marked one for ‘good sense’ in a very vital essential service.