Govt denies blocking ALNG workers’ $$

ACTING PRIME MINISTER Joan Yuille-Williams yesterday declared that Government never ordered Bechtel not to pay interim monies to striking Atlantic LNG (ALNG) workers. Speaking with reporters outside Whitehall, ALNG workers’ representative Ernest Thompson claimed that this was the information which the workers had received from sources attending a meeting on Tuesday between senior ALNG and Bechtel officials. However, responding to questions at the subsequent post-Cabinet news conference, the Acting PM told reporters: “You have more information on that than I do.” Yuille-Williams said she was not aware of any such directive being issued by the Government and the subject of the seven-week-old ALNG Train Four strike was not discussed at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting.

Asked how new Labour Minister Anthony Roberts was settling into his new portfolio, Yuille-Williams replied: “Very well.” Roberts was appointed on Monday to replace Point Fortin MP Larry Achong who resigned as Labour Minister one week earlier. Asked whether any of the more experienced ministers were advising Roberts about how to approach his new responsibilities, the Acting PM said they were not. Following Roberts’ appointment as Labour Minister, Prime Minister Patrick Manning said it was common practice in PNM administrations for the more experienced ministers to offer guidance to those with less experience until they could stand on their own.

Yuille-Williams also said Government had received no feedback from Manning or any member of the TT delegation attending the 15th Inter-Sessional Caricom Heads of Government in St Kitts/Nevis. She said that a congratulatory statement would soon be dispatched to new Antigua/Barbuda PM Baldwin Spencer. Spencer’s United Progressive Party routed former PM Lester Bird’s Antigua Labour Party 12-4 in Tuesday’s general election.