McLeod in fiery mood

FRIDAY May 12 was yesterday designated “Red Day” by workers during a May Day rally in San Fernando. The call was made yesterday for persons to demonstrate their anger over food prices by wearing something red on May 12.

During a massive march and rally through the streets of San Fernando in the first May Day march since 1972, Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) president general, Errol McLeod, said people must rise up and make the change.

Under a blistering midday sun, hundreds of workers, many carrying placards, denounced rising food prices. Yesterday’s rally also saw many voicing their concern over Petrotrin’s $18 million budget for repairs to its bungalows.

Traffic was brought to a virtual standstill in the southern city yesterday as workers and marchers weaved their way from Paramount Building at Circular Road to Independence Avenue.

The march which was organised by the Federation of Independent Trade Unions and NGOs made its way into High Street and ended at Harris Promenade. It also attracted workers from the Communica-tions Workers Union (CWU), Public Services Association (PSA), Sou Sou Lands Co-operative and Guave Road Farmers of Chaguaramas. Some 100 residents from the Cedros/Chatham community arrived in three buses for the 8.30 am march.

McLeod noted in his speech that while the union was not against the national streetlighting project, the proposed $640 million dollar project was attracting “sycophant contractors” who were charging $800 to install one light.

“We have asked our lawyers to advise us as TTEC is perhaps operating illegally. It does not have a board under Section 54.70.” Mc Leod slammed TTEC for its failure to come to the bargaining table and begin negotiations for a new collective agreement.

Recent decisions by Petrotrin’s board also came in for special mention by McLeod who denounced the $55 million spent on the company’s Santa Flora beach camp facilities.

He said 25 new buildings could have been constructed with the money. He said the board had also approved the purchase of a Mt Irving “residence” for $8 million, and wondered why the company would need to purchase Tobago real estate.

With negotiations stalled with the State-owned oil company offering six percent over three years, McLeod warned his patience was running thin, saying today will be the last occasion he would sit at the negotiating table without “involving the workers.”

Meanwhile, Trinidad Islandwide Cane Farmers Association (TICFA) president, Raffique Shah, said the nation’s wealth was not filtering down to the nation’s poor and dispossessed.

He also slammed what he described as Government’s non-existent agriculture policy, saying the nation was capable of reducing its food import bill.

He said an “integrated food plan” was necessary and called on South-South bilateral trading in agriculture as a possible means of reducing the bill.