Hauliers’ protest causes Port pile-up

Operations grounded to a halt after talks broke down between the Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union (SWWTU) and the Association of Trinidad and Tobago Hauliers Limited (TTHA).

As a result, TTHA members are refusing to deliver cargo to the CES until they are paid for delivery services provided from July 2004.

Curtis Seepersad, secretary of TTHA told Newsday when hauliers turned up for work they were turned away, "We are suffering from a loss of revenue, time, and equipment and doing a job for free."

The hauliers are paid at the Point Lisas CES for delivering containers and are seeking the same payment at Port-of-Spain.

"We are paid in Point Lisas and we aren’t paid in Port-of-Spain, why do the union(SWWTU) believe we are attacking them? We had a meeting last year with the Minister of Finance Conrad Enil and we have received nothing up to now," Seepersad complained.

Ralph Alexander, secretary general of the SWWTU, said the distance to deliver the containers is only 20 to 30 feet.

He admitted that it was the first time in eight years the hauliers did not deliver the containers to private trailers and it was creating a serious backlog at the CES.

"We are not on strike and we have tried to resolve this problem and the hauliers refused. Point Lisas is different from Port-of-Spain," Alexander said.

Betty Ann Gibbons, Public Relations Officer for the Port Authority confirmed that there were no deliveries at the CES for several hours yesterday.

"We spoke to both parties involved for a meeting and in good faith they have resumed work this afternoon," she said.