Fuel supplies expect to be back to normal today

PETROLEUM supplies, including gasoline, diesel and aviation fuel, were expected to return to normalcy by late yesterday evening after protesting workers at State-owned Petrotrin, resumed work at the port of  the company’s Pointe-a-Pierre re-finery. However,  the workers whose return was the result of  marathon meetings  between  company  management and officials of  Oilfields Workers’  Trade Union, (OWTU)   yesterday, were  advised by union officials against  working  on the port under  “unsafe conditions.” According to OWTU’s  Petrotrin bra-nch secretary,  Shaffick Hyatali,  the company promised to address a number of workers’ concerns. Among them is the carrying out of repairs to berthing facilities at the Point-a-Pierre docks.

“The company made certain commitments and we advised workers to go back to work. But we also advised them not to work in any unsafe conditions,” Hyatali said.  The branch president pointed out  that  Berth six, one of the larger berths used by the larger ocean tankers, was extremely  unsafe for working. In explaining the dilapidated conditions, he said:  “We have advised the company that many of  these  berths are without hand rails, or forward dolphin lines.” Newsday learned that  a large tanker, transporting some 650,000 barrels of crude, was expected to dock at  Berth six sometime during the day yesterday.

Hyatali said that the company had been aware of the situation since last year, but failed to effect repairs to the berth. Newsday was also told that Petrotrin has assigned contractors as a matter of  “priority,” to repair  berths, as well as leaking valves. “Right now, we have to give Petrotrin zero marks on it’s health and safety standards,” Hyatali said, adding that the company has until next Wednesday to begin implemention of the proposals. He also told Newsday that Petrotrin made a commitment to purchase  four launches,  including esta-blishing a task force comprising both Union and company personnel. This task force, he said, would  negotiate for the  purchase of an additional bunker barge to facilitate the sale of  bunker fuel  in the Gulf of Paria.