Security
for PowerGen employees
By Roxanne Stapleton
Trinidad Express
Port
Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
01 28 07
THE POWER Generation Company (PowerGen) is now providing
security patrols at the homes of seven of its employees,
who have opted to run the company's Pt Lisas plant.
This
after four houses belonging to PowerGen workers
were violently stoned last Thursday and Friday.
Windows were broken and there was minor structural
damage to the workers' homes. The rear windscreen
of one of the workers' cars was also smashed.
While
reports were made to the police and investigations
are ongoing, industry sources yesterday told the
Express the attacks have left the wives and children
of these workers severely traumatised.
The
Express understands that PowerGen management wasted
no time in dispatching security officers, after
the workers said they would not leave their families
alone to report for work during night shifts, given
the "nightmarish attacks".
Four
permanently employed plant operators were fired
from PowerGen's Pt Lisas plant last week, on the
basis of leaving machinery, valued at hundreds of
millions of US dollars, unmanned.
In
addition, 17 out of a total of 25 plant operators
at the very location have been barred from entering
the compound, pending a final report from the company's
doctor. The 17 recently submitted sick leave certificates
for the same period.
The
attacks come in the wake of numerous power outages
which hit Port of Spain last week, resulting in
calls from businessmen for immediate compensation,
given their huge financial losses as a result of
the power failures.
PowerGen's
management yesterday refused to comment on the attacks
and subsequent action taken by the company.
Meanwhile,
collective agreement negotiations between PowerGen's
management and the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union
broke down last Friday.
The
negotiations were already a year behind.
Sati
Gajadhar-Inniss, OWTU representative, yesterday
said: "The company officials left the meeting
saying that they were going to report a breakdown
in negotiations to the Ministry of Labour."
OWTU
representatives claimed PowerGen's management was
looking to hire contract labourers to replace permanent
workers.
Trinidad
Express
Tuesday, January 23rd 2007
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