Caroni to pay VSEP August 15

AUGUST 15 is the day for 8,116 daily paid workers of Caroni (1975) Limited to accept their Voluntary Separation of Employ-ment Plan (VSEP) packages. After months of wrangling in the Industrial Court, Caroni and the All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers Trade Union agreed that the workers will accept the VSEP packages on August 15. The letter of offer which was sent to the workers by the company on February 15 remains the same, meaning that $617 million will be set aside to pay the employees leaving the company. This was one of the issues agreed upon in a consent order signed at the Industrial Court yesterday, effectively ending the dispute between Caroni and the union over the VSEP packages. When the matter was called before the Industrial Court at 3 pm, attorney Douglas Mendes, representing the union, said he was happy to say that the parties concluded an agreement. In court, Mendes read out the terms of the draft agreement, which was witnessed by a number of Caroni workers. Gladys Gafoor, Vice-President of the Industrial Court, said the court was grateful that the matter had been concluded and that everyone will be satisfied in the long run, especially the workers. She thanked the representatives of both Caroni and the union for their assistance in the matter.

The other members of the court were Lloyd Elcock, Ramchand Lutchmedial, Judy Gualbance and Augustus Ramrekersingh. According to the terms of the agreement, Caroni will provide counselling and financial advisory services to the daily paid workers before the separation under the VSEP. Caroni will also establish multiple locations to be used as re-training centres which were referred to in the letter of offer dated February 17. Both Caroni and the union will meet on Monday to discuss the distribution of lands to workers for agricultural purposes, housing and for small and medium sized agro business. The workers, according to the agreement, will be given first priority to purchase field equipment. Caroni and the union have agreed that all meetings, discussions and negotiations will be undertaken in good faith with a view to resolving all outstanding matters. The parties agreed by consent order that there will be no further proceedings in the Industrial Court in respect of the complaint filed by the union with respect to the VSEP matter. The injunction which was granted to the union on March 28, restraining Caroni from implementing its VSEP, has been discharged. The union has also agreed not to penalise Caroni for breach of the Industrial Relations Act (IRA). Following the court ruling, Rudy Indarsingh, President General of the union, said he was pleased with the final outcome. He described the outcome as a landmark one, saying that it was Government who had failed to meet and treat with the union to discuss the VSEP matter. Indarsingh believed Government undermined the process as the management of the company was relying on the instructions of the inter-ministerial committee, instead of taking its own decisions. He was pleased that the issues relating to the land, retraining and counselling and advisory services will be addressed.

Indarsingh said the original VSEP offer stands. “The leadership of the union had to make a judgment call. We were running the risk that if an agreement was not realised, we would have been operating under the barrel of a gun, and the workers would have been retrenched and would have lost their monetary enhancement.” The union leader pointed out that the Industrial Court could have ruled on this issue, but he was satisfied that his union has left one foot in the door in the event that Caroni does not meet and treat fairly with the issues. “We felt that the Government could have walked the walk, they should have gone the distance. The union was willing to compromise its position on the issue of the VSEP package. “We had no choice in the matter; if the workers don’t accept, the government has made it clear they (the workers) would lose. This is like operating under the barrel of the gun.” He continued, “The union launched a struggle and in retrospection, I feel satisfied and the council of the union feels vindicated. My advice is for the workers to accept the offer of VSEP,” Indarsingh added.