PM: Govt receiving free advice on Petrotrin

Responding to questions in the House of Representatives from Opposition MPs on Petrotrin, Rowley said, “There are no terms and conditions involved or payments or contracts.” Referring to the address he delivered to the nation on Wednesday about Petrotrin, the PM added, “This is a question of getting proper advice and we will consult widely...

looking at possibilities.” He said the report which Mottley and these experts will compile has not yet gone to Cabinet.

Indicating that should happen in the “very near future,” Rowley said there are no plans to either make that report public or lay it in Parliament. He explained the contents of the report are really meant to guide the decisions of Cabinet with respect to Petrotrin.

In response to a question from Barataria/ San Juan MP, Dr Fuad Khan, Rowley said he mentioned in his address that Petrotrin is expected to fund the interim five percent wage increase it agreed to with the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU).

He added this would involve some kind of cost cutting exercises by the company. Stating this was a matter for Petrotrin’s board and management to decide upon, Rowley said, “I am not aware that Petrotrin has no money.” As a multi-billion dollar enterprise, the Prime Minister explained, “It is not a question of having no money, it is how the money is spent and what the money is spent on.” On whether there would be any negative impact for Petrotrin workers as a result of the interim settlement for the 2011 to 2014 collective bargaining period, including job losses, Rowley recalled the former Kamla Persad-Bissessar administration boasted of settling, “all outstanding agreements.” As the then Opposition, Rowley said the People’s National Movement (PNM), “kept asking, which of these matters is it that you have settled.” Rowley said he presumed that the 2011 to 2014 period was settled by the former administration. In his address to the nation, Rowley said the former government offered the OWTU a zero-zero-zero wage proposal and this was why the matter ended up in the Industrial Court. Rowley also hoped the Gas Master Plan should be laid in Parliament by March 31.