Leader of the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU), Ancel Roget, has threatened to “step up its game” and take it to another level should Government fail to settle all outstanding negotiations.
Yesterday, hundreds of unionised workers from the University of T&T, Petrotrin, University of the West Indies and T&T Electricity Commission (T&TEC) braved the inclement weather and marched from outside the Central Bank, Brian Lara Promenade, to the Office of the Prime Minister, St Clair.
Soaked in the rain the members, led by Roget, chanted: “We want we money, we want we money.”
They also marched around the building several times while the post-Cabinet media briefing was in progress with the acting prime minister Colm Imbert and the Minister in the Office of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs, Stuart Young.
Roget met briefly with the Minister of Labour, Jennifer Baptiste-Primus, when he delivered a two-page letter addressed to the acting PM and Minister of Finance and the Economy, Colm Imbert.
He said a majority of these collective agreements were approaching the third period of collective bargaining with no settlement in sight for the first period.
He said the then government deliberately refused to settle those negotiations as a means of punishing unions who “dared to stand up in the country’s interest.
“Having been victimised by the last government, it appears that this Government has chosen to turn a blind eye on this most untenable situation, to continue along the destructive path set by the last government.
“This entire situation is not only disappointing but indeed it is also regrettable. In its attempt to settle all outstanding negotiations, this Government must demonstrate equality in treatment and therefore our outstanding negotiations must be addressed,” Roget said. He said workers would not tolerate treatment with disdain and disrespect and promised next time the union would return with more in numbers.
“If the Government don’t hear, they will feel with our presence here in town. We are not here to beg but demand that our negotiations be settled,” Roget said.
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Outstanding wage and salary negotiations that are unsettled:
• T&TEC for the period 2011-2014.
• Petrotrin for the period 2011-2014.
• T&T National Petroleum Marketing Company Ltd for the period 2011-2014.
• UWI for the period 2011-2013 for daily paid and 2011-2014 for monthly paid.
• UTT for the period 2012-2015.