Hosein hopes for ‘nonconfrontational’ NP negotiations

Speaking with reporters following the opening of the $4 million dollar CNG compressing, storage and dispensing equipment at Carrousel Service Station, Cocoyea, San Fernando yesterday, Hosein stated that NP was at present in negotiations with the OWTU for the 2011-2014 and 2014-2017 period.

“Currently we are in the same position that Petrotrin was, we have agreements outstanding for 2011- 2014 and 2014-2017,” Hosein said, adding, “2011 is at the Industrial Court and another hearing in March.” “We expect being reasonable people, we will get together and come up with reasonable initiatives to ensure that the company continues to survive,” he said.

“We cannot continue in that paradigm of confrontation every Monday morning,” he said.

“I believe in the tripartite arrangement.

I told the union already we no longer have to fight Butler’s battle or George Weekes’ battle, in the sense that we own a lot of the infrastructure and therefore, as responsible people, what we need to do is sit around the table collectively and see how we can bring about better terms and conditions and profitability back to these companies,” he said.

He said the company was putting in place a new structure with new initiatives “to make us a lot more efficient because the issue we have to deal with as a country is productivity, the cost of which we do our business, which is a serious issue.”