Striking pipeline workers meet with Dr Saith today

Striking workers attached to the National Gas Company (NGC) 56-inch cross-Island pipeline project are expected to resume negotiations with sub-contractor API pipeline and main contractor Bechtel International, at 3 pm today at the office of Public Administration Minister, Dr Lenny Saith. Today’s meeting will be an about-turn for the workers, whose representatives last week told Newsday they would resist all attempts to have Dr Saith mediate in the negotiations. They cited conflict of interest in that Dr Saith is a Government Minister and NGC is State-owned.

Worker representative Ray Jones yesterday still maintained their objection to Dr Saith’s input in negotiations, but he said information reaching workers was that a new counter-proposal was being offered by API Pipeline/Bechtel International and he expressed “guarded optimism” that an agreement would be reached at today’s meeting. Jones said workers’ current demand for an increase in wages, was in response to previous higher wages paid out by the company for past pipeline projects. Expected to lead the workers’ negotiations are Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) education officer David Abdullah; Trinmar branch president Ancil Roget and ALNG worker representative Ernest Thompson.