Petrotrin workers call off protest

OPERATIONS at State-owned Petrotrin were reportedly back to normal yesterday following the company’s promise to fulfil several of its workers demands, according to Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) Petrotrin representative Sha-ffick Hyatali. Hyatali told Newsday workers returned to normal duty yesterday, after they initiated strike action in front of the company’s administration building in Pointe-a-Pierre on Tuesday, on urging from OWTU second vice-president Errol  Mc Leod. Hyatali said Petrotrin management agreed to commence distribution of letters to between 200 and 400 workers, whose jobs were upgraded, after a meeting with OWTU. “The respective letters would be sent out to workers from the start of September and implementation of pay packets would commence from the end of September,” a happy Hyatali said.

Regarding improvements to the existing medical plan for employees and retirees, Hyatali said the company promised to hold discussions with the view to implementing a more acceptable plan. “The company noted that a medical plan within the terms and conditions, as demanded by workers, is costing a hell of a lot, but promises were made that a proposal on how and when this plan will be implemented was made by the company. So things are again looking up for the workers,” he added. On Wednesday, over 700 workers of Petrotrin downed tools and assembled outside the Pointe-a-Pierre roundabout entrance to the company’s administration building to protest better working terms and conditions.