Roget promises to fight privatisation

President General Ancel Roget sent a message to the many sectors of society who called for state-owned Petrotrin to be privatised following the union’s strike notice against the company at the beginning of the year.

Speaking last week at a function to commemorate the OWTU’s 80th anniversary, Roget said, “If it is one thing I want to pledge here, on the basis of the commitment that was made by our founding fathers, is to save our national patrimony from the vultures and save it from the hands of privatisation,” he said. Roget said that since 1979’s ‘Texaco Must Go’ campaign, led by then President General George Weekes, the powers that be, have made such a big mess of the national patrimony that they are now trying to give it to someone else to run.

He warned the ordinary man on the street to not be fooled of talk about public-private partnership, because the people interested in taking control of State enterprises are “a bunch of corrupt people who care nothing about the country and only about their own profits.” Roget said that Trinidad and Tobago lacks proper leadership at all levels of government due to “strings being pulled by a new plantation class.” Singling out bankers, Roget criticised private companies who speak about experiencing tough times but go on to declare massive profits at the expense of workers. Chairman of the Cipriani College of Labour and Co-operative studies Dr Roosevelt Williams, also speaking at the function asked, “What would be the state of the country without the OWTU.” He praised the union’s raising of “class consciousness” among the working class saying this was the union’s greater contribution than its struggle for better wages for members.

He said justice was only possible through leadership of the working class. The union marked its anniversary with the unveiling of an 80th anniversary logo that would be used throughout this year.

The logo, an upheld fist enclosed by a red and gold star, was celebrated at the function at which representatives of at least 17 unions were present.