Trinmar operations shut down

FOR the second time in two weeks, the Trinmar Operations marine base was shut down yesterday after workers walked off the job to protest several managerial decisions concerning the facility. According to OWTU branch president (Trinmar Operations) Ancil Roget, workers were demanding that the company address a number of issues including the payment of outstanding merit allowances for monthly-paid workers dating back to 2000. He said wage negotiations for hourly and weekly paid workers also had to be addressed by the company. “Just imagine after 23 meetings with management, no new wage offer has been made to workers,” Roget said. He added that the company was proposing a 25 percent pay increase for the workers. Another bone of contention was the issue of Trinmar’s governance structure. He said the Company was still in the process of “making redundant” several key management positions, including Finance Manager and Information Technology manager. Roget pointed out that this would bring Trinmar Operations directly under the control of the executives at State-owned oil company, Petrotrin. “We are calling for full autonomy at Trinmar Operations,” he said. On June 10th, workers downed tools in an effort to force Petrotrin management officials from effecting the changes at the Point Fortin-based company. Efforts to contact Petrotrin’s Ag Corporate Communications’ Manager George Commissiong, for a comment proved futile as Newsday was told that he was in a meeting.