Labour Minister Rennie Dumas says the call from the People’s Democracy for citizens to stay away from work on Monday and Tuesday will fall on deaf ears.

The People’s Democracy, comprised mostly of major trade unions such as NATUC, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions and NGOs and the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU), and other groups such as YesTT, had earlier this week called for citizens to wear red yesterday, attend a rally tomorrow and stay home on Monday and Tuesday, in a show of disgust over Government’s handling of several issues, including the proposed property tax.

But speaking yesterday after the launch of the Youth Rise business programme at the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs in Port of Spain, Dumas said, ’When people ask for two days of shutdown, what are their reasons? Their reasons are arguments against progress.’

He also said neither he nor anyone in his Government could say the two days would lead to productivity, but noted he believes any calls for people to stay home is a ’deliberate plan to disturb lives and deprive people of goods and services’.

He said, however, that the Government did not have a contingency plan in case people in the public sector do stay home in droves. But he said he knows that people will still be coming out expecting goods and services on Monday and Tuesday and as such, he does not think ’business as usual’ will be greatly affected.