OWTU members urged to stay home
PORT SPAIN
Trinidad & Tobago Express
Petroleumworldtt.com
03 24 09
The country's biggest trade union last night asked its members to stay away from work today-the start of protest that continues to the eve of the Fifth Summit of the Americas.
If it works, the action will affect the operations of the Board of Inland Revenue, Customs and Licensing Department, Water and Sewerage Authority, and see a shortage of fuel and cooking gas supply, union officials said.
The call was made by president of the of the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU), Ancel Roget, last night, after an all-day mass membership meeting at its Paramount Building, San Fernando, headquarters.
Already, he said, operations at State-owned Petrotrin had been crippled by the absence of workers, and he expected it to continue today.
Roget said there would also be a national shutdown ahead of the April 17 summit. He said on April 7, he was asking members to ensure that "the candles would shine brighter" on the night of their planned candlelight vigil, adding "candles would burn to brighten where there is no electricity".
Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission workers are OWTU members and the union wants a 23 per cent increase on their salaries, but the State is offering 15 per cent.
There has also been tension at Petrotrin over the company's alleged reneging on an agreement in February to pay bonuses amounting to $240 million. Each of the company's 4,000 workers were expecting to get a cheque for $60,000 in January-part of a profit-sharing agreement.
The company, hard hit by the energy downturn, now wants to pay the money in three tranches over three years.
Story by Nikita Braxton from Trinidad & Tobago
Express
-nbraxton@trinidadexpress.com
Trinidad & Tobago Express
Tuesday, March 24th 2009
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