RADHICA DE SILVA
radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt
For the second time in as many weeks, the Oilfield Workers Trade Union staged protests demanding the removal of Vidya Deokiesingh, after he was sent to work in the South West Soldado Field Development Unit at Trinmar.
Deokiesingh is currently the subject of a probe in the Petrotrin fake oil scandal and recently returned to work following leave.
In an interview yesterday, OWTU’s Trinmar branch secretary Ernesto Kesar said workers first got wind Deokiesingh was promoted to the unit around 7 am on Monday.
“We had to be sure that he was really there because we did not want to operate using hearsay information. We went to Trinmar’s Bungalow 70 and the leader of the section confirmed that he was there,” Kesar said.
He added that Deokiesingh quickly left in his car as the workers prepared for another round of protest.
“We learnt today that he will be relocated to somewhere else but we don’t know where,” Kesar added.
Saying the investigations into the fake oil scandal were still ongoing and he did not want to say too much more on the issue, Kesar said,
“This matter is a delicate one. The Petrotrin management has a right to do what they have to do, but they cannot force us to work with someone we are not comfortable with.”
Saying the influence and strength of the OWTU continues to prevail, Kesar assured workers the union will continue to be the vanguard for the protection of Petrotrin and its assets.
Workers also protested on December 8 when Deokiesingh was sent to the Field Maintenance Equipment Department in Santa Flora after returning to work recently.
Petrotrin, on its website, said the South West Soldado Field Development unit is one of the most immediate opportunities for increasing indigenous crude oil production. Phase one, which is currently being executed, involves installation of a temporary compression and production facility, drilling of eight new wells, reactivation and work-over of inactive wells and installation of a new gas sales pipeline among other activities.
An email sent to Petrotrin’s head of external communications and branding Joy Antoine and acting communications manager George Commissiong for comment on the issue was not answered up to press time.