...Fuel
shortage,
panic
buying
follow
protest
action
Port Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
21 07 07
INDUSTRIAL action at State-owned oil company Petrotrin yesterday and at the
Trinidad and Tobago National Petroleum Marketing Company (NP) on the weekend
has resulted in a shortage of fuel in south Trinidad and panic buying in the
north.
NP chief executive officer, Richard Callender,
told the Express yesterday that protest action
by NP workers on Sunday had caused a reduction
in the distribution of transportation fuel to service
stations in north Trinidad on Monday.
He said all employees involved in the distribution
of fuel had been back to work since Monday afternoon
refilling the stations, but panic buying by consumers
in north Trinidad continued to cause long lines
at the outlet.
The NP workers downed tools on Sunday following
an accident at NP's Sea Lots facility, where employee
Sylvester McMillan injured his leg.
Employees who work on the NP jetty are still withholding
their services until management has addressed safety
issues on the jetty.
Callender
said the company's "proactive management
team" off-loaded the fuel from the vessel
themselves on Monday, allowing for the tankers
to distribute it around the country.
He
added that NP is constantly upgrading, checking
and ensuring that its health and safety operations
and that Sunday's accident was "unfortunate".
Callender said the action at Petrotrin yesterday
worsened the distribution situation, as NP's fuel
trucks were unable to access fuel from the Pointe-a-Pierre
gantry because the Petrotrin workers were not allowing
the tankers into the facility.
He added that the trucks were only able to service
fuel stations from Gasparillo to Cross Crossing
in south Trinidad and deeper south stations were
unable to get fuel yesterday.
Fuel should be delivered to these stations by
today, Callender said.
Story
by Driselle Ramjohn from the Trinidad Express
- dramjohn@trinidadexpress.com
Trinidad
Express
Wednesday, October 10th 2007
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