Several voice notes went viral on the social media Whats App yesterday warning citizens of T&T of a total shutdown to the water supply and urged them to ensure their water tanks were filled.
However, president of the Public Services Association (PSA), Watson Duke, confirmed on the contrary that there would be no WASA strike.
The voice notes began circulating just after 10 am alleging talks have broken down between the Union and WASA’s management.
Two of the voice notes, in particular, referred to health and safety issues impacting process plant operators (PPO).
One of the voice notes said: “WASA will be shutting down all water treatment plants throughout the country as of 9.30 tonight so you all secure your tanks, make sure all your tanks full, all your buckets full, all your kegs full, right... we making a stand as process plant operators for our safety, for the health and safety we working under... right. So you could spread it to your friends and family.”
The other voice mail referred to a meeting between WASA officials and the Public Service Association (PSA) yesterday morning.
It stated: “Meeting has just over. Watson Duke, the president of the PSA, has made a decision on the PPO’s behalf that WASA would be shut down until further notice due to health and safety reasons until the managers of WASA comply on our behalf.”
However, Duke said the PSA had been trying to work with WASA’s management and at no time had it taken any negative action towards the public.
“All our actions have been positive and in the direction of self-preservation where health and safety is concerned.
“The workers perform even when they are lacking the basic resources. We have caught management with their pants down and they have expressed no concerns, all they are doing is apologising.
“We are hopeful that the issues will be resolved so that there would not be any crisis or any perception of crisis,” Duke said.
On Wednesday night at about 9.30 pm 75 per cent of WASA’s treatment plants and wells were shut down.
WASA workers then made their way to WASA’s public education centre building, Farm Road, St Joseph, where they met with Duke to discuss health and safety issues.
They were later given a hearing from the utility’s chairman, Romney Thomas, chief executive officer, Alan Poon-King and other executive members, including members of the board of directors.