PRESIDENT of the Federation of Independent Trade Unions and Non-Governmental Organisations (FITUN), David Abdulah, says Independent Senator Michael Annisette’s defence of the Urban Development Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (UDeCOTT) ’has challenged his legitimacy as a representative of the labour movement’.

Annisette sits on the UDeCOTT board that approved the State-owned developer’s lawsuit against the Commission of Enquiry into its operations and those of the construction sector.

In fact, Abdulah, Banking, Insurance and General Workers Union (BIGWU) deputy president Mario Als and former Communications Workers Union president Lyle Townsend yesterday all said Annisette was acting independently of the labour movement in his recent defence of UDeCOTT, since he was not representing the view of the labour movement on the issue.

Their comments came in the wake of concerns within and outside Senate that Annisette was using his position as an Independent Senator to champion the cause of UDeCOTT.

’Certainly on the issue of UDeCOTT, FITUN has a very different position and, therefore, Mr Annisette, Senator Annisette, does not speak for FITUN when it comes to UDeCOTT at all,’ Abdulah said.

Als noted, ’Michael Annisette’s view as it stands with UDeCOTT, are they representative of labour? I do not know that.’

Townsend pointed out, ’He (Annisette) is acting as an agent of his employer, UDeCOTT and the government.’

During the debate on the Validation and Enquiry Act that validated the proceedings of the enquiry, Annisette told the Senate he had been a member of the UDeCOTT board since December 16, 2006, before defending its right to challenge the enquiry in court and his right to speak on the matter in the Upper House.

Annisette also told the Senate he was a director on the boards of the five other State-owned enterprises in addition to UDeCOTT and the Home Mortgage Bank, ’all in my capacity as a labour representative coming from the National Trade Union Centre’.

However, yesterday Abdulah and Als both said neither NATUC nor FITUN was ever consulted about the appointment of Annisette as an Independent Senator to represent the interests of the labour movement.

’We were not asked at all and certainly, if we were asked, we would have suggested somebody else,’ Abdulah said.

Asked yesterday if Annisette should be removed as an Independent Senator, both Abdulah and Townsend said yes. Abdulah was much more cautious in his answer. ’I think that the recent issues have certainly challenged his legitimacy as a representative,’ Abdulah said.