(Trinidad Express) IN TRINIDAD some households uphold a tradition of bestowing a bottle of booze to their favourite rubbish collector on either Christmas or Boxing Day but according to Public Utilities Minister, Marvin Gonzales, some postal workers are trying to get in on the action.

In a statement Monday, Gonzales said, “It has been brought to my attention that citizens in some postal districts have been receiving in their mailboxes a small brown, empty and unsealed envelope stamped, “Seasons Greetings from your District Postman.”

He added, “presumably, the intention is to solicit a monetary gift from the respective households by the district postman for the provision of postal services, for which they are employed by the Postal Corporation to provide to the population under the Government’s Universal Service Obligation.”

“This solicitation is illegal and reprehensible and must cease immediately!” he said.

He also called on the public who may have received an envelope to not encourage the behaviour by handing over any cash and report it to the police.

Gonzales described what they were doing as, “grossly unethical.”

He said that it is at variance with TTPost’s governing legislation and it also constituted a serious act of misconduct which is tantamount to misbehaviour in public office.

“I, therefore, take this opportunity to underscore to all our postal delivery officers that under Section 24 subsection (1) of the Integrity in Public Life Act, Public officials and employees may not use his public office for his own private gain,” he said.

He added that, “The solicitation of a gift or personal benefit that is connected directly or indirectly with the performance of one’s duties of his office is therefore illegal.”

Gonzales also called on those engaged in the act to stop.

He added that the reports are going to be investigated and that strong disciplinary action will be taken against those postal workers found culpable.

“I have since mandated the Board and management of TTPOST to undertake urgent and immediate measures to protect the national community and to identify and hold responsible those guilty of this practice which will no doubt do irreparable damage to the corporate image of the postal corporation,” he said.