'Refinery
equipment faces fire risk'
By
Louis B Homer South Bureau
Trinidad
Express
Port
Spain
Petroleumworld.com
08 14 06
Equipment at Petrotrin refinery at Pointe-a-Pierre
runs the risk of being damaged by fire because of
frequent industrial disruptions of its plants, Wayne
Bertrand, the company's President of Operations,
has warned.
In
an interview with the Daily Express concerning the
industrial impasse between the company and the Oilfields
Workers Trade Union, Bertrand said: "Over the
last two weeks there were several short industrial
disruptions at Pointe-a-Pierre and the withdrawal
of services by plant personnel, (these place) the
entire refinery and its environs in an extremely
unsafe condition."
He
said: "When plant personnel do not report for
work it becomes necessary to shut down the units
in a controlled and safe manner to reduce the possibility
of further risks,"
Bertrand
said "on each occasion that the units are shut
down, and then restarted at short intervals, there
is the possibility of long term damage to equipment."
Last
week six plants were shut down for two days. They
were restarted when the workers returned to their
jobs last Wednesday.
The
State-owned oil company and the OWTU are locked
in negotiations for a new wage agreement for 2005-2008.
They have been negotiating for the past eight months.
The
matter has been referred to the Ministry of Labour
and the first meeting of both parties, along with
ministry officials, was held last Thursday.
The
company's position on a general wage increase over
the three-year period and cost of living allowance
is now 10 per cent and $0.21 on the 2003 index.
The union is asking for 35 per cent.
OWTU
president general Errol McLeod said at a press conference
the workers deserved "a 67 per cent increase,
not 35."
He
said government has already intervened in the negotiation
and given instruction as to the increase workers
should receive.
Speaking
about losses to the company when plants were not
operating, Bertrand said it also affected the profits
that would acrue to workers under the existing industrial
agreement.
"
Employees share in the company's profits and they
would also be affected," he said.
Employees
across the board are given a bonus of 15 per cent
after the first $1 million profit .
"At
the end of the last fiscal year employees received
variable pay that amounted to $34,628.26. This payment
was in addition to annual merit increases,"Bertrand
said.
He
said production of crude was down and if the company
was to increase its crude production it must discover
new fields, or stimulate the old ones.
Trinidad Express
Monday, July 31st 2006
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©2006 Trinidad Express . All Rights Reserved.
