By Clint Chan Tack, Newsday/TT

PLANNING MINISTER Dr Keith Rowley yesterday stunned Parliament into silence when he revealed that the former UNC government betrayed the nation's doctors to the tune of $40 million. Speaking during debate on amendments to the Medical Board Act, Dr Rowley left the Opposition shell-shocked when he disclosed that a secret agreement was hatched between the Panday regime and a clique of doctors on the eve of the December 2001 elections. "The destruction of the morale in the medical profession was not brought about by this Government. It was their (UNC) treating with favourites in the medical profession in a way that was contrary to the standard practice that laid the foundations for the problems that we had last year and this year. The doctors who very stridently had been leading strikes and disturbances in the public sector, when our good friends on the other side were in government, leading up to the 2001 elections. Rather than recognise the normal, good practice of industrial relations, they allowed the doctors to approach the Sub-committee of the Cabinet. For the first time in the history of Trinidad and Tobago, that any block of government employees were allowed to negotiate one on one directly with the Cabinet." Rowley declared. Rowley further revealed that the Cabinet's Finance and General Purposes Committee met with the doctors who up to that point were claiming they were represented by the Public Services Association (PSA).

"Whatever position they took, the one record that was being broken is that here you had this small group of doctors who had access to the political corridors. They were allowed to go and negotiate their terms and conditions directly with the Cabinet, election week. Arising out of that negotiation, was an agreement for a salary increase which was kept secret from the national population. It was only after they got out of Government and we came in, much to our shock and surprise, we met this agreement in place granting the doctors a $40 million backpay," he declared. The Minister said while Government had to scrape funds to pay doctors salaries, the Medical Professionals Association of TT (MPATT) remained deadly silent on their role in this deal while publicly accusing Government of making no arrangements to pay the doctors. Recalling MPATT's bleating about recognition as a bargaining unit for doctors, Rowley countered: "They had already as a bargaining body, and they wanted to maintain that position. The doctors having gotten through with that, they believe they can carry on this kind of game of putting the politicians on their backfoot and blackmailing." He said the issue had nothing to do with race or political affliations. "It has to do with a group of public officers being able to negotiate their terms and conditions in that way," Rowley quipped. The Minister declared that unlike the UNC, the PNM was fully prepared to subject itself to full public scrutiny and face whatever consequences that follow. Rowley added that the responsibility for the practice of medicine "was not the inherent right of an individual" but was internationally recognised as falling within the purview of elected representatives of a State. He challenged the UNC to prove him wrong.