Mayor says dialogue can end ALNG protest

POINT FORTIN Mayor St Clair Natta is confident the protest by workers of the Atlantic LNG (ALNG) Train Four will be settled with dialogue. The workers are protesting for increased wages. Currently they receive between $18 and $24 an hour but are insisting they get between $30 and $35 an hour. Natta said about 1,500 workers are protesting and he estimated that they receive between $3,840 and $5,280 based on a ten hour, and two hours overtime work day.

He said there is a Memorandum Of Understanding between the main contractor Bechtel, and subcontractors, to guide subcontractors on the payment rate. He added that in the hiring process, a certain percentage of workers must come from the Point Fortin area and Bechtel would like to see a percentage of up to 65 percent. Natta said apart from the protesting workers, other Point Fortin residents are hurting as a result of the action. He called for dialogue between the parties to end the protests. The Mayor also advised the workers to upgrade their skills, so they could be promoted from labourers to tradesmen. The Mayor explained that he visited the site last week to organise the workers in a way to encourage dialogue.