As hundreds of retrenched steel workers marched to ArcelorMittal’s Point Lisas plant demanding answers, Federation of Independent Trade Unions and NGOs (Fitun) president Joseph Remy is calling for the entire shutdown of the Point Lisas Industrial Estate.
Although he acknowledged T&T’s economic problems, Remy said shutting down the estate would send a message to foreign multinational companies that citizens would not be bullied. Workers of ArcelorMittal, Central Trinidad Steel Ltd (Centrin) and Tube City IMS circled the Point Lisas Roundabout in a placard protest, yesterday, calling for ArcelorMittal’s managing director Robert Bellisle to leave.
Even as police tried to prevent workers from marching and converging at the plant at Mediterranean Drive, Point Lisas, Remy said, “Sometimes you have to break the law to bring change in this world. If we have to break it, let us break it.”
It was a united showing against ArcelorMittal as National Trade Union Centre (Natuc) member Ainsley Matthews and a few members from the Contractors General Workers Union joined with Joint Trade Union Movement members: Steel Workers’ Union (SWUTT), Communication Workers’ Union and Amalgamated Workers’ Union, yesterday.
Remy said ArcelorMittal’s disregard for workers was shared by other foreign companies, which he described as brutal and ruthless in taking citizens back to slavery days.
“I am calling on the union here to challenge the other unions at the industrial estate. I will hope one day that we can shut down the entire estate to send a message to those other foreign multinationals. They can’t come here and do what they want. This is an industrial estate that was built by Trinbagonians.
“Blood, sweat and tears were shed to build this estate for us to benefit and now we are suffering because of those who came in here, raped and plundered the economy, walking away with the gold and leaving us here with nothing. We can’t afford to allow that to happen.”
The plant ArcelorMittal now operates was previously State-owned and operated under the name Iron and Steel Company of T&T (Iscott).