Residents protest Petrotrin job cut
PORT SPAIN
Trinidad & Tobago Express
Petroleumworldtt.com
06 17 09
State-owned oil company Petrotrin's decision to cut its work force triggered protests at its Santa Flora facility by people warning of a crime upsurge because of the rising unemployment.
Some 200 residents, many of them former temporary and casual workers with the company, blocked the entrances to the oil company, demanding jobs. The demonstrations began a week ago.
Residents had a message yesterday for the country's politicians.
"We have already had three murders in the area this year already," said Lorris Ballack, chairman of the Palo Seco Action Committee.
He said that Petrotrin's decision to take in only two people from the community each week was a hard blow to the people.
Previously, the company would employ as many as 100 people each week, he said.
"We are saying that there should be at least 50 people from Erin to Palo Seco getting work weekly because this big State-owned company has about ten to 15 departments."
He said most of the people who worked at Petrotrin at Palo Seco were not from the area and this was unfair to residents who had to seek work in other parts of the country.
Leroy Connell, president of the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union's Fyzabad/Palo Seco branch, said the people of Palo Seco deserved more.
He said the job had the support of permanent company workers "so this thing could go to greater proportions".
A delegation from the protest group will meet with Petrotrin's management today.
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Trinidad & Tobago Express
Tuesday, June 9th 2009
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