It seems that the Anglican Diocese of Trinidad and Tobago is a typical example of the Anglican church’s preferential treatment of the poor: conversation, dialogue, whining to the government and little else. A pensioner who spent 30 years scrubbing diocesan floors was dismissed with a $2000 pension [US$318]: the diocese is all heart:

A Couva pensioner is seeking redress from the Anglican Church for a retirement benefit which she claims she earned after working for more than 30 years as a cleaner at an Anglican school.

Cynthia James, 65, of Balmatte Street, Couva, was employed by the Anglican Diocese in 1977 to work as a cleaner at Anstey Memorial Girls’ Anglican School, Drayton Street, San Fernando. She retired on November 11, 2008.

James said she informed the school manager Canon Francis Caesar of her retirement one month before leaving, in a letter which she delivered to his office at the St Paul’s Rectory, Harris Promenade, San Fernando.

In December 2008, the diocese gave her a cheque for $2,000. She said she was informed the diocese withheld $3,000 as payment for a washing machine which the diocese bought for her before she retired.

“In a breakdown the diocese explained that I really received a $5,000 retirement benefit and after $3,000 was extracted for the washing machine, I was left with a sum of $2,000,” she said.

James said she subsequently contacted Caesar several times to ask why her retirement benefit was so small and was dissatisfied with his response.

“Caesar said $5,000 was the amount that the Anglican Board agreed upon and that I should be glad that I got it because I was not supposed to get any money,” she said.

Trinidad and Tobago is one of the wealthiest countries in the Caribbean with average monthly income of $4,417 [US$793].

Let’s hope she enjoys the washing machine.