TSTT protest over $$ reaches Sando

BOMB scares coupled with a boisterous lunch-time demonstration brought the San Fernando branch of  Telecommunication Services of  Trinidad and Tobago to a virtual standstill yesterday, as ongoing protests over stalled wage-negotiations reached the Southland.

Yesterday’s protest action came even as the workers’ representative union, Communication Workers Union, renewed its call for a resumption of negotiations by the company. Media representatives were also physically manhandled by a uniformed TSTT security officer who evicted two cameramen and two photographers into the busy streets, as traffic was brought to a crawl during the noon protest. The drama started around 10 am when employees at the company’s St James Street, San Fernando Mobile Service Centre were informed that an anonymous caller had made a threatening call to the centre and that they were requested to evacuate the building. Then around noon, a similar call was made to the Customer Services Centre, also located at St James Street. However, secretary/treasurer of the CWU south branch, Clyde Elder, denied knowledge of the “bomb-scares” saying that action was not in keeping with good industrial practices.

Elder, who led the workers in their protest march at the St James Street compound, reiterated the union’s call for a return to the negotiation table saying employees were “fed-up” with the company’s “delaying tactics” over wage negotiations. He said that the protest, involving over 150 workers from all over the company’s Southern Division, including the Cipero Street Work Centre, Princes Town, Siparia and Point Fortin, would continue “indefinitely” until wage and other trade negotiations were completed. “Over three years workers have not received any kind of substantial increase and we cannot take it anymore,” he said, adding that the protest action was not confined to the South, but included all sections of the company. “Workers are prepared to do whatever is necessary in a peaceful and amicable manner,” he concluded.