Drug test for Bechtel employees before work

President for the striking Atlantic LNG Train IV plant, Ernest Thompson promised that attempts will still be made to achieve more than a sectoral wage for heavy construction workers. He was speaking to members of the media yesterday at the ALNG strike camp site. Thompson said, “We are still going to try to achieve more than the sectoral wage because the present wage is not really suited for heavy construction.” “We are going to ensure that the heavy construction workers get what they should be earning,” he added.

Thompson noted that the fight is not merely for a minimum sectoral wage but is for a just wage. On the issue of when the workers would be returning to work at the plant, Thompson stated that Bechtel would not be opening its gates tomorrow. He said the reason for this was that the place needs to be sanitised, following which a meeting is expected to be held with the contractors and then the calling in of the workers for a drug test. He continued by saying that although the 2,700 workers are expected to be present on the site from as soon as Wednesday or Thursday this week, full resumption of work will be carded for next Monday. Thompson again emphasised that the victory the ALNG workers got on Friday was a major one not only for the ALNG workers but for the working class throughout the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.

Single mom celebrates back to work

By RHONDOR DOWLAT

A 42-year-old single mother of five and Atlantic LNG Train IV construction worker, Virginia Morris, openly thanked God yesterday, that she would be receiving a better wage packet and working conditions as the ten-week strike finally came to an end on Friday and no longer had to depend wholly and solely on her little kitchen garden to provide vegetables for the family. Morris said that for the past ten weeks during the strike with no income coming in she had no choice but to dip in on her life savings to maintain the needs of her five children — three girls and two boys, ages 21, 19, 14, 11 and and nine — herself.

Morris told Sunday Newsday that she did not have to worry much about spending the extra cash on going to the market place to purchase vegetables since she had her own kitchen garden, in which she grew vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, sweet pepper, provision and bananas. However, she was proud to also note that although she had to use her savings for the payment of her daily expenditure, she did not have to resort to borrowing from people or taking loans from any of the banking institutions. “Financially it was very strenuous, because whatever little monies I saved, it had to be used for sending the kids to school, pay the bills — but overall, by the Grace of the Almighty I managed it alright,” Morris said. Morris, who was never married and was forced to build her life on her own and take care of her children after a relationship for seven years failed to flourish, tried her best to make ends meet in the  most honest means possible.

She gained her qualifications and experience in the construction industry and began working on the construction of the Atlantic LNG Train I plant then moved on to the Train II, III and presently Train IV. Because of her constraints with motherhood, Morris was not at the striking camp 24 hours, as some of the workers; instead she had to deal with her normal motherly routine and keep re-assuring her kids that everything would be alright and for them to keep out of the worry zone. Upon the taking up of the strike actions by the ALNG workers, Morris said she seated her children and explained to them the situation as best as she could. Although it was a tough ordeal for her as she explained, it was something that had to be done. “I told them — very emotional — but not to them knowing, I said to them that I had to engage in the strike actions, all for the benefit of the family,” she said. She noted though that her children were very understanding and supportive and they always stood by her side throughout the long, tedious and stressful period.

On hearing that the strike was over on Friday, a delighted Morris stated that her children was very excited and could not wait for her to return to work next week, enabling the resumption of their long awaited normal lives. Morris stated that not all the workers may resume work tomorrow at the plant because there were some procedures to follow the resumption of work, which includes drug test of the workers orientation and safety, meaning that all equipment would have to be checked before any operations could commence.On her reflections on the strike, Morris said that she feels that a big, heavy weight has been lifted off her shoulders and added that it was worth it. “I think it was worth it — the ten weeks outside was surely worth it — we, the workers might not have accomplished everything but at least we earned the respect and attention of our employers, so that when we go back in there (the workplace) they would in turn get the due respect from the workers — it is a give and get situation,” she said.