Workers down tools for better wages

AFTER almost a month of “on-and-off” negotiations between Petrotrin and OWTU officials, workers at Trinmar Operations (Marine Base) once again brought the State-owned oil exploration company to a virtual stand-still for almost six hours yesterday. From as early as 6 am, some 800 workers, comprising those with temporary and casual status, downed tools in protest and waved dark-blue union flags while chanting the battle hymn, “We shall overcome” at the company’s main gates. According to OWTU branch president Ancil Roget, workers had “had enough” of the company’s “reluctance” to engage in meaningful discussions with the union on salary increases.

Roget pointed out that while the union had originally proposed a 25 percent “across-the board” wage increase for all categories of workers, the proposal had been reduced to a 22 percent increase after the union conducted a series of bilateral talks with company officials. He said that unlike past negotiations where the union had agreed to a lower wage increase, the union was fully prepared to justify its call for the wage increase. The company has, however, maintained an offer of a five percent wage increase. Workers are not prepared to accept this. type of reluctance on the path of the company to continue negotiations, which are now progressing at an extremely slow pace,” Roget said. He added that the contentious “Trinmar governance issue” also had a bearing on the slow pace of negotiations, saying the company’s management officials were being issued instructions from “obstructionist” Petrotrin officials. “Trinmar has the wherewithal to successfully conclude these negotiations but because they are taking instructions from Petrotrin, everything has ground to a halt,” Roget said, adding that severance from Petrotrin was the only option for the company to maintain its viability in the energy sector. “The only way to ensure good governance at Trinmar is to operate as a separate entity from Petrotrin.” Union officials are expected to meet with Petrotrin representatives today in an effort to resolve the current impasse which had also brought work to a standstill at the facility during the months of June and July.