OWTU members march in sun and rain

There was a tense atmosphere as the workers chanted in front of the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair as they awaited Acting Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Colm Imbert to receive a letter from the union to address their concerns.

Minister of Labour and Small Enterprise Development, Senator Jennifer Baptiste-Primus, received the letter on Imbert’s behalf.

As the rain intensified, so did the roaring chants of the union members as they walked around the Prime Minister’s Office building five times.

Police kept a watchful eye as they chanted, “Shake the tree till Imbert fall” and “We want we money right now.” Members cheered Roget on as he addressed them at Independence Square, Port of Spain before they moved to the Office of the Prime Minister saying, “We will not be denied what is justly ours.” Union members from Petrotrin, Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission, the National Petroleum Company, The University of the West Indies (UWI), St Augustine Campus, University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT ) and Powergen displayed placards with various messages including “There has been no salary increase since 2007 at UTT ” and “Ah scruntin in UWI.” Hassan Ahmad, OWTU branch secretary at The UWI told Newsday, “wage negotiations have been stalled continuously.

They offered us eight percent. We want no more excuses as daily and monthly paid workers are working on old salaries.” UTT staffers had similar cries as one member said they had no raise in salary since 2007 and no permanent jobs. Only three-year contracts were being given to workers, while management had a pay raise and were on five year contracts.