Union to protest port going foreign

President general of the Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union (SWWTU), Michael Annisette, said Legal Affairs Minister Danny Montano’s statement regarding the sale of the port on the international market has turned it into an industrial time-bomb, as the majority of workers are now uneasy about their future. Montano was speaking to the media prior to the Prices Advisory Committee’s one-day strategy session at Crowne Plaza Hotel recently, when he expressed his disappointment that the port had to be sold on the international market. He said the port was publicly advertised for local bids, since the ministry believed that something as significant as the operations of the port should be owned locally. Montano noted, however, there was very little interest from the local business community and the view was that the “management was not there.”

Speaking with Newsday, Annisette said workers were upset about the situation and were contemplating industrial action because they were worried about their jobs. He explained that negotiations for privatisation had been going on for the past three years, and it was a surprise when Montano made the public announcement. “We see this as a betrayal and mistrust on government’s part,” he said. “We felt that there should have been some consultation on the matter, based on mutual respect and understanding.” Annisette said despite the upset, the union remains committed to work with all the stakeholders to ensure that the port increases its efficiency and becomes more productive. “However, ‘commitment,’ must not be interpreted to mean that we will not fearlessly represent the interest of the workers,” he stated.

Annisette added that the union did not feel that privatisation of the port was the way to go and insisted that SWWTU and its members be involved in the initial stages of the discussions. “We resist any attempt to make a decision that will affect the workers,” he insisted. He also felt that with privatisation, the port management should allow the company’s shares to be made available to the workers and the public. However, a top official at the Port Authority said privatisation could help the port realise its full potential in terms of competitiveness on the international front, especially since government is fighting to have the headquarters of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) established in TT.