T&TEC/Petrotrin
workers stay away ...after union calls for election reflection
Port Spain
Petroleumworldtt.com
11 04 07
Two
T&TEC Customer Service Centres—one
in Point Fortin and the other in Couva—were
forced to remain closed yesterday while production
and exploration operations at Petrotrin ground
to a halt, because of unusually high worker absenteeism.
The
worker stayaways came one day after a call by
president general of the Oilfield Workers Trade
Union (OWTU), Errol Mc Leod for workers to stay
at home and reflect upon the decisions they have
to make at Monday’s election.
Although there were no demonstrations accompanying
the low worker turnout, sources said all exploration
and production at Petrotrin remained at a standstill.
Hundreds of workers from production fields at Fyzabad,
Forest Reserve, Santa Flora, Barrackpore, Penal,
Guayaguayare, and Point Fortin, stayed off the
job. Up to late yesterday, only operation staff
at the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery had reported for
work.
In
an interview, first vice president of the OWTU
Ancil Roget said the situation was expected to
continue over the next few days because of the
workers’ dissatisfaction over statements
made by Prime Minister Patrick Manning that his
Government will not be blackmailed by unionists.
“The workers have heard the Prime Minister
and have decided to respond to his arrogant statement
that he will not be blackmailed. They have all
decided to stay home and reflect. This will go
on until they will come up with a decision over
who they should vote,” Roget said.
Asked
about the effect the absenteeism had on Petrotrin’s operations, Roget said, “I
can’t say for now but there will be some
great effect arising out of this.”
Meanwhile,
T&TEC’s corporate communications
manager Stephen Martel confirmed that T&TEC
was also hit by high absenteeism.
Martel
said apart from the closure of the two offices,
operations in Tobago were also affected.
He said T&TEC’s Service Centre in Scarborough
was manned by a limited number of employees.
He
explained, “T&TEC has also experienced
a high level of absenteeism among its field workers
in several distribution areas. As a result we are
operating with a limited number of crews which
will be utilised to respond to emergency calls
in the shortest possible time.”
Martel said the company was hoping for the situation
to be normalised as soon as possible.
On
Tuesday, the trade union movement struck back
at Manning, warning that it will carry out a threat
to shut down the country because of Manning’s
assertion that he will not be blackmailed into
giving in to their demands before Monday’s
election.
Mc
Leod vowed “that the OWTU is not going
to allow anybody to put our backs against any wall.” He
advised affected workers that between now and November
5, election day, they should do nothing but remain
in the quiet of their homes and reflect on the
critical decision they would have to make on election
day.
Story
by Radhica Sookraj from The Trinidad
Guardian
Trinidad
Guardian
Thursday
1st November, 2007
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