Tankers to resume loading

THE INDUSTRIAL unrest which affected Atlantic LNG ended last night when an interim agreement was reached at the Industrial Court.  While the tugboat operators were due to resume work last night, other workers will return to their jobs this morning. In fact, according to Ancil Roget, first vice-president of the Oilfields’ Workers’ Trade Union, which is seeking the interest of the workers, both sides are due to meet 10 am today at the Ministry of Labour to hammer out a substantive agreement. The work resumption agreement was reached at the Industrial Court where the company applied for an injunction to have the workers return to work immediately.

The decision on this has been reserved until today by court president Addison Khan. A condition for the return to work is that there will be no victimisation and that warning notices which were sent out, would be withdrawn. The union and the company will meet at the Ministry of Labour at 10 am to have discussions on issues relating to wages and other areas. Roget said the decision to return to work was done in good faith and in the interest of all parties. Company officials declined to comment. With the tugboat operators back on the job LNG tankers will now be brought alongside the Point Fortin LNG Terminal for loading.

LNG strike costing Govt US$2M daily

By RICHARDSON DHALAI

INDUSTRIAL action by operators of the four tugboats used to berth/unberth LNG loading tankers at Atlantic LNG in Point Fortin is costing Government approximately US$2 million in revenue per day. With operations at Atlantic LNG trains’ I, II and III down since the weekend, Government has so far lost an estimated TT$49.92 million in revenue. Atlantic LNG’s Manager Public/Govt Affairs Esther Le Gendre disclosed that for each day trains I, II and III are non-operational, with no Liquefied Natural Gas being sent to the three storage tankers anchored and idling miles out to sea at Atlantic LNG terminal in Point Fortin, Government loses approximately US$2m in revenues derived from taxes such as corporation taxes.

In addition, local downstream industries who depend on LNG will also suffer. Outputs at the three trains were shut down when they reached maximum capacity, starting from Saturday. Excess LNG had to be burnt out — representing millions of dollars in potential earnings to Government. The tugboat operators’ protest  is the latest and gravest plight facing Atlantic LNG, who for the past month has endured strike action by workers constructing Train IV — which because of the protests is now behind operational schedule. Both workers on train IV and the tugboat operators are protesting alleged inadequate pay packets and poor work conditions. The tugboat crews, who are employed by PLIPWIJS, a joint venture company between Dutch firm, Svitzer Wijsmuller and the Point Lisas Industrial Port Development Company Ltd (Plipdeco), downed tools on Saturday evening and refused to perform berthing duties to allow the filling of LNG into several ocean tankers.

The workers are calling for an increase in wages that are reflective of present industrial norms and improved health and safety issues. Atlantic LNG’s Esther Le Gendre said the loss-of-earnings figure was based on an estimated daily intake of 1.7 billion cubic/ft of natural gas. “And at today’s gas prices, that comes up to just over two million US per day in lost revenue to the Government of Trinidad and Tobago,” she said. She also observed that the protest action by the tug boat crews were also having “tremendous implications” on the reputation of the Point Fortin based energy company as being a reputable and reliable supplier of LNG. “Downstream, the impacts to us are, of course, our inability to supply gas according to our contracts. This has tremendous implications to Atlantic’s reputation, and by extension the reputation of Trinidad and Tobago as a reliable gas supplier,” she said.

And concerning the industrial impasse, Oilfields Workers Trade Union (OWTU) Trinmar branch president, Ancil Roget, said the situation had reached a standstill and workers were “standing their ground.” He also observed the union had received information that the company may  resume operations using “scab” labour from other State companies and sounded a warning against this move. “This is a highly unionised environment and we do not want Trinmar to be drawn into this situation,” he said. Meanwhile, Plipdeco Corporate Communications manager Sharon de Gannes yesterday referred queries to PLIPWIJS’ manager Andre Viera, who was unavailable for  comment.