Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has declared Friday’s trade union protest in Port of Spain a failure, accusing participants of being motivated by racial and political hatred towards her United National Congress (UNC) administration.
In a strongly worded Facebook statement following the October 30, 2026 demonstration, the Prime Minister announced, “THE PROTEST HAS BUST,” telling participants to enjoy their weekend and return to work on Monday.
Persad-Bissessar described the demonstration as a protest against the UNC and claimed that those expected to support it had failed to turn out in significant numbers.
Accompanying her remarks was an aerial photograph showing demonstrators, vehicles and police along a roadway in Port of Spain. She suggested that the image contradicted the impression of the protest presented by sections of the media.
The Prime Minister also made serious allegations about individuals and groups she claimed had benefited financially under the former People’s National Movement (PNM) administration.
She accused wealthy business interests, individuals she described as members of the local drug mafia, and politically connected persons of failing to mobilise significant support for the demonstration.
These were allegations made by the Prime Minister and were not accompanied by publicly verified evidence in the statement.
Persad-Bissessar further argued that demonstrations motivated by racial or political hostility would ultimately fail.
She also questioned why trade union representatives had joined a protest involving PNM parliamentarians, accusing the former administration of failing to settle outstanding backpay, increase salaries or offer meaningful wage increases during its decade in office.
The Prime Minister maintained that her Government was working to resolve longstanding labour issues.
However, the unions organising Friday’s demonstration have presented a different explanation for their action.
The National Trade Union Centre and participating labour organisations said the march was intended to highlight unresolved collective bargaining agreements, outstanding wage settlements, job security, retrenchment, living wages and broader economic concerns.
Opposition Leader Pennelope Beckles, who participated in the march, rejected the suggestion that the demonstration was motivated by race, maintaining that workers’ rights should not be treated as a racial issue.
Reports from the demonstration confirmed that protesters gathered in Port of Spain, with one account indicating that attendance increased after an initially modest turnout.
No independently verified overall attendance figure has been established, and the Prime Minister’s description of the protest as a failure remains her assessment rather than a confirmed outcome.
Persad-Bissessar also thanked the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service for maintaining security along the demonstration route. She credited officers with ensuring that no violence occurred against members of the public who were not participating in the march.
Despite her criticism of the demonstration, the Prime Minister extended appreciation to unions and union leaders who continue to engage with her administration.
She promised that the Government would work to resolve their outstanding issues as soon as possible.
In closing, Persad-Bissessar told protesters that their march was over and repeated her allegation that their political and racial motivations had been rejected by the population.
She ended her message with a personal declaration of affection for the people of Trinidad and Tobago, stating that although the country had experienced leaders before her and would have leaders after her, none would love them more than she does.
The statement highlights the widening disagreement between the Government and sections of the labour movement over the purpose and effectiveness of Friday’s demonstration.
While the Prime Minister has declared the protest unsuccessful, the unions’ outstanding demands remain unresolved, leaving the impact of the demonstration and the prospect of further negotiations to be determined.