McLeod:
$$ but no progress
By
Louis
B Homer
South Bureau
Trinidad Express
Port Spain
Petroleumworld.com
06 25 06
President general of the Oilfields Workers Trade
Union, Errol McLeod, says no real progress has been
made in Trinidad and Tobago, in spite of the country's
wealth.
For
real progress to be made, he notes, there must be
a levelling of the playing field of the resources.
McLeod
made the comments in his address during Labour Day
celebrations at Charlie King Junction in Fyzabad
on Monday.
McLeod,
who heads the FITUN group of unions, called on labour
leaders to unite, claiming that "we are ready
for the battle, but we must have unity and discipline
in what we have to do because the enemies are desperate".
He
also chided his critics for saying that increased
wages to energy workers would create further inflation
in the country.
McLeod
said local inflation was the result of neglect in
some areas of the national economy. Citing agriculture
as an example, he said, "An increase will not
do havoc to the economy. Inflation has been caused
by the neglect in agriculture and building of high
rises in Port of Spain."
McLeod
said the issue was not that oil workers are too
highly paid, but that everybody else were too poorly
paid. In defence of his demands for higher wages
for energy workers, McLeod said, "We are insisting
that we be better paid because of the contribution
we make to the economy."
He
said the energy workers were the bedrock of the
economy and if they are not treated properly no
one else in the labour sector would be treated properly.
The
OWTU and Petrotrin are now locked in negotiations
for higher wages.
Comparing
Government ministers to people working in the energy
sector, McLeod said people in high places got 55
per cent increases in their salaries and also received
back pay.
"One
guy received the sum of $670,000 in back pay,"
McLeod claimed.
McLeod
said he was also concerned with the format used
in determining increases for "people in high
places."
"We
do not know if the Salaries Review Commission considered
performances when they recommend increases,"
he noted.
McLeod
also spoke about the proposed smelter plant to be
constructed in Cap De Ville, saying the labour movement
proposes to mount protest action sometime in August,
when they will call on Government to stop the project.
Trinidad
Express
Wednesday,
June 21st 2006
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©2006 Trinidad Express. All Rights Reserved.
