Duke accused of using PSA exec to campaign in THA election

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Chairman of the Public Service Association’s (PSA) St Ann’s Hospital Section, Preston George is calling for the resignations of all executive members of the Association.

George’s statements come four days after PSA president and political leader of the Progressive Democratic Patriots (PDP), Watson Duke posted photos to one of his Facebook pages showing him and other PSA executive members on the campaign trail in Tobago.

“Representation on a different POSITIVE LEVEL and PDP IS FIXING DIS!!!” was the caption assigned to the photos.

Duke’s PDP will square off with the People’s National Movement (PNM) Tobago Council on December 6 at the polls for control of the Tobago House of Assembly (THA.)

This election will be the island’s second for 2021, after the January 25 election ended in a six/six deadlock between the two parties. Yesterday, George told Guardian Media PSA members were angry that other executive members had joined Duke in his campaign.

“This has been going on for years now, an example was when Watson Duke would take members of the PSA to Tobago to celebrate Labour Day away from Fyzabad. And now it has reached this point where not just Watson Duke campaigning in Tobago for his own political gains and purposes but also the whole executive appears to be in full support, including persons from the WASA section,” George said.

He labelled this as immoral and a conflict of interest.

“We are calling on the whole executive to resign, members have been going to the PSA on a regular basis to treat with matters that are affecting them in the workplace, some of them have ongoing matters and it is not being treated, they are being turned away,” George said.

He said members have been complaining that there is no one at the PSA’s office in Port-of-Spain to handle their grievances. George said the PSA was currently in a “sad state.”

Asked if Duke had been made aware of the issues being raised by the membership, George said he and other PSA members were previously targetted for opposing Duke.

“I have been openly campaigning against Watson Duke to resign from the PSA, myself and other members of the PSA and those of us who have stood up against the wrongdoings in the PSA have been interdicted, suspended, have been thrown out, expelled unlawfully,” George said.

George said he expects to once more find himself in Duke’s firing line.

“Yes, Watson Duke is one who is very abusive, he is abusive towards our women, he is abusive in nature, he abuses whatever little authority was given to him,” he claimed.

Guardian Media tried reaching Duke by phone but there was no response. Duke did not respond to questions sent via WhatsApp.