by Global News Staff
PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad — Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Kamla Persad Bissessar, has directed that Defence Force Reserves be called out to assist in maintaining law and order in the country.
The decision to call out some 400 reserves was taken during a meeting of the National Security Council on Tuesday, Persad Bissessar told reporters in Port of Spain on Wednesday where police and soldiers were on an exercise.
She said the decision had nothing to do with threats by police officers to stage “sick out” action in protest of the five percent increase in salaries offered by the Chief Personnel Officer (CPO).
Persad Bissessar also stated that she does not believe the police will intensify their action and confirmed that she intends to meet with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service Social Welfare Association executive next week.
Police officers staged two consecutive days of sick out action last week temporarily affecting security at the private residences of Persad Bisessar, Attorney General Anand Ramlogan and Chief Justice Ivor Archie.
