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By Aurax Radio | August 18, 2026 | 2 min read
A planned escalation of industrial action by Water and Sewerage Authority workers has been put on hold after Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath intervened in a dispute over outstanding wage proposals. The development temporarily eases tensions at WASA, but the Public Services Association has warned that protests could resume if the government does not follow through on commitments to advance negotiations.
Public Utilities Minister Barry Padarath intervened in the WASA-PSA dispute over outstanding wage proposals.
PSA President Felisha Thomas suspended the union’s protest action after meeting with Padarath, WASA Chief Executive Officer Roshan Banwah and other senior officials. The dispute involves outstanding proposals affecting about 2,800 monthly-paid WASA employees, with the minister committing to have the authority move the union’s submissions to the Ministry of Public Utilities by the end of the week. Thomas said the union welcomed the intervention but indicated that industrial action could resume if the promised progress does not occur.
U.S. visa revocations are at the center of a political dispute in Trinidad and Tobago over whether government officials have referred citizens to American authorities.
The dispute has also revived a political clash over the previous government’s proposed restructuring of WASA under former Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales. Thomas criticized the earlier approach, while Gonzales defended his role as an opposition member of Parliament and said he would continue scrutinizing the government’s handling of the utility. Padarath has meanwhile called for improved communication between WASA management and the PSA and said the government is examining strategic investment and partnerships intended to strengthen the authority’s financial position and ability to provide services. The immediate focus, however, remains on moving the workers’ proposals through the required government process and preventing the dispute from returning to industrial action.