"No industrial peace in T&T": Roget

Thousands of workers led by their trade unions abandoned their jobs and joined a protest march in Port of Spain Friday. 

President general of the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) Ancel Roget said in a speech workers would protest outside the private residence of Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, resist proposed austerity measures and prevent any private company from operating a bunkering facility in T&T. 

The OWTU has claimed that any bunkering contract must go to Petrotrin.

“We are prepared to shut the refinery down and leave it down for as long as necessary if they are preparing to give that away,” Roget threatened. He called on the Prime Minister to launch an immediate investigation into the granting of a licence to a private company in the bunkering issue.

“That fuel belongs to the people of Trinidad and Tobago and if the Petrotrin workers cannot get it on behalf of the people of Trinidad and Tobago, nobody will be allowed to get it,” Roget insisted.

Roget said workers want the Government to conclude all outstanding negotiations for new collective agreements to the satisfaction of the workers. 

He threatened more protests if government introduces harsh austerity measures. “The only austerity measures we are going to have is to have workers on the streets,” he said. He said the next protest by workers wouldn’t be on the streets. “We’re not going to talk, we’re not going to beg, we’re not even going to ask. We are going to demand as workers that we get a fair share of this economic pie,” he said. 

“We will not rest. There will be no industrial peace in Trinidad and Tobago...We are preparing for one of the biggest walkouts."