Senior Reporter
The Trinidad and Tobago Private Security Association (TPSA) is urging the Government and the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) to urgently pay up an estimated $75 million in outstanding payments owed to 13 contracted security companies, warning that continued non-payment could result in security officers refusing to report for duty.
Speaking with Guardian Media yesterday, TPSA spokesperson Raquel-Ann Uzoemeka said the association could no longer guarantee officers would continue working if their wages remained unpaid.
“We’re not threatening to withhold services. What we’re saying is that we no longer have any control over the security officers deployed by our member companies. We cannot guarantee that employers will be able to motivate staff to continue working without pay,” she said.
“Salaries need to be paid. The fundamental obligation of a security agency is to pay its workers, and our members have not been able to fulfil that obligation.”
Uzoemeka said the debt had accumulated over the past three years and stressed that the association’s decision to raise the matter publicly should not be viewed as a political attack.
According to her, repeated efforts were made over the years to engage WASA’s management on the non-payment of invoices, but communication has since broken down. The association is now seeking the intervention of Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath.
“We have tried to keep this matter between our members and WASA. We have written to them and sought meetings on several occasions. We are not issuing an ultimatum for Friday. We are simply saying that companies reaching out to us can no longer control the situation because they are unable to pay their workers and settle outstanding wages,” she said.
Uzoemeka noted that security officers are responsible for protecting several WASA facilities, particularly in rural areas. She said the issue extends beyond safeguarding the authority’s assets and could have wider implications for national security and public health.
“We have officers who are facing eviction and cannot afford rent. Mothers are struggling to pay for school expenses and daycare. This is a social issue. It is also a national security issue. If these officers withdraw their services and facilities are left unmanned, it will not only affect water infrastructure but could become a public health concern as well,” she said.
WASA’s budget allocation for security services reportedly increased from just over $75 million last year to $84 million this year.
Responding to the association’s concerns, Padarath said contingency measures were already in place should workers withdraw their services.
“WASA has advised that these bills were accumulated over more than three years under the former administration. Some payments have been made in recent times. Efforts will continue,” he said via WhatsApp.
He added that WASA’s management had assured him that contingency arrangements were in place but that discussions with service providers would continue to avoid any disruption.
Former public utilities minister Marvin Gonzales yesterday acknowledged that outstanding payments existed during his tenure but maintained that contractors were paid regularly enough to continue operations.
“Since the UNC came into government, they (the security companies) have not received any payments and are unable to pay their staff. While I acknowledge there was an accumulation of outstanding payments under the PNM administration, WASA made consistent payments to these companies so they could meet payroll obligations and continue providing services. There was never any disruption,” Gonzales said.
However, Uzoemeka said she could not confirm whether all security firms had gone unpaid under the current administration.
She recalled one company, owed approximately $15 million, being offered a payment of $500,000 recently. According to Uzoemeka, the company rejected the proposal.
