$200 less for panmen
Trinidad Newsday
Cabinet agreed yesterday that panmen will now each be paid $800 instead of $1,000, amounting to just over $6 million to perform at the national Panorama preliminaries.
Minister of Arts and Multiculturalism, Winston "Gypsy" Peters said although he does not approve of this stipend being paid in the first place, there must be compromise.
He was speaking at the post Cabinet press conference at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's yesterday.
This issue has been a contentious one as Pan Trinbago, the governing body for steelpan orchestras, has objected to Government reducing the stipend.
Peters, however, said yesterday that the nation's coffers are not the same as before and urged steelband leaders to dig into their own pockets to ensure that panmen get their $1,000 as there was now a $2 million grand prize for the winner of the Panorama finals.
Peters stressed that Government continues to contribute a lot of money into the pan fraternity.
He said there are 163 bands with 7,600 registered players and money is given to them for Panorama preparations.
Peters said Government gives unsponsored conventional bands $20,000 and single bands $10,000 which amounts to some $2.6 million in grants for Panorama.
"Things today in Trinidad and Tobago are not what they used to be three years ago... the coffers do not hold the same amount of money as they used to and as you can well imagine there are lots of things that have to be done with the little that is coming in," said Peters.
He said in his meeting with Pan Trinbago officials, he showed them how they can pay their players the regular $1,000.
He said that previously, the grand prize was $1 million and that will now be increased to $2 million for 2011.
Peters said should band leaders dig into their own pockets to ensure panmen get $1,000, the grand prize money will be most rewarding.
Peters and the pan fraternity have been involved in a public impasse over the past few weeks.
The pan fraternity had earlier debated the possibility of boycotting next year's Panorama competition in response to "disrespectful" statements made by Peters.
Peters had earlier this month signalled his intention to stop the stipend being paid to pan players for the preliminary stages of the Panorama competition.
—AR
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Replies
Andre
Thanks for your contribution.Bevon
DO SOMETHING FOR PAN
Pan Trinbago should now put their money where there mouths are by taking the one (1) million dollars which they would otherwise have to pay the winning band of Panorama and divide it among Pan Players. The Honorable Minister Mr. Winston Gypsy Peters was right in letting Pan Trinbago account for this floating one (1) million of the first prize because the government has now taken it upon itself to pay the first prize of two (2) million to the (large) winning band leaving Pan Trinbago to only pay from second place downwards. Pan Trinbago should now use this money to assist pan players and up the eight (800) hundred offer Pan Players Association of Trinidad and Tobago is calling on Pan Trinbago to step up, divide the one (1) million and assist pan players.
Bevon Phillips
President Pan Players Association Trinidad and Tobago
Dika Pan Trinbago is an arm of the government bythe concordat of 1986. Whch other union in T&T reports to a line Minister.Pan Players Association and past governments have all tried to view the accounts of Pan Trinbago with no success.Pan Trinbago survives off the Public purse with no accountability and no respect for Pan Players.Show me one instance where they have assisted any Steelband or Player in need With noEducational Financial or Social Plan to develop the fraternity.The Pan Players Association is about taking simple pan playing and turning it into a viable economic profession by making aplayer music literate so they .may be able to recieve a monthly salary as a Tutor or Teacher in the schools T&T.Concerning the stipend statement the Miniter got it wrong because this money should be viewed as an insentive to future players.A system should be developed so that players know what % of the 2 million will go to them before it goes to the band Other than that we have no problem with that
BevonBellies
Phillips
Beavon you are trying to turn this into this into a referendum on Pan Trinbago but that would be disingenuous. This is about the minister and his unfair redistribution of wealth. This goes far beyond your personal issues or anyone else with Pan Trinbago. Who chooses the members of Pan Trinbago anyway? This behavior by the minister exposes an agenda with very dangerous social, financial and economic implications.
What if this same type of allocation of services and finances are use for other areas.
How would you feel if there was a 1000% increase in funding for health services for people who listen to Chutney music and 20% decrease in health services for people who listen to Pan music?
Bevon once you head down this slippery slope, there is no return.
bugs
Sorry my brother but you do not seem to understand the enormity of a pan players problems and choose rather to place a plaster on a sore instead.WE prefer to begin at the root because if our representation was stong and showed some form of direction we the Pan Fraternity would not have been in this situation today
Bevon
We have no problem with the first band receiving $2 million but we would like to see some equity as to how it is shared amongst the different parties.We, The Pan Players Ass. of T&T will not try to declare what % a player should receive, but we believe that with dialogue we may reach an amicable agreement.Since PPATT has gone on record challenging the legitamacy of Pan Trinbago to represent players, they PanTrinbago have instituted a form which a player has to sign,this form gives them the right to make CDs/DVDs etc at the payers expense.The PPATT believes this to be an infringement of the fundamental neighbouring rights of players and abuse of his intellectual property rights.WE strongly believe the $1000 stipend as called is the legal right of a player and accuse Pan Trinbago of deceiving the Pan fraternity by not highlighting these factors to the benefit of players only to fall as prey to the whims and fancies of Ministers and other government officials.SO WE ASK WHO DO THEY REPRESENT
Bevon Bellies Phillips
President
Pan Players Ass.T&T
bevon you have me even more confused now..."A system should be developed so that players know what % of the 2 million will go to them (the players) before it goes to the band"....then...."We have no problem with the first band receiving $2 million but we would like to see some equity as to how it is shared amongst the different parties."....
Which players and what 'different parties' are you referring to?
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