Vowing to resist any attempt by Government to retrench workers and privatise State-owned Petrotrin, the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union says it will mobilise all Petrotrin workers today in a massive show of force.
The mass mobilisation is expected to begin from 7 am at Petrotrin’s Trinmar operations in Point Fortin and continue at the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery on Friday.
It follows a statement by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on Sunday that cash-strapped Petrotrin will be restructured in 2018 as it owes the Government $2.75 billion.
In an interview yesterday, president general Ancel Roget said the OWTU was not opposed to restructuring Petrotrin. He said the union submitted a restructuring plan to Government since last year asking for autonomy of all of Petrotrin’s divisions including Trinmar offshore and Marine operation, Field Exploration and Production and the Refining and Marketing division.
Saying autonomy of the various divisions yielded maximum productivity at Petrotrin, Roget said it was time to go back to this model.
“The committee agreed this was our most productive years. That model was working before and we got the most out of Petrotrin. When they restructured Petrotrin to facilitate Malcolm Jones as an executive chairman presiding over Petrotrin operations which failed. It did not work because in that type of super structure the issue of accountability is compromised. Trinmar was sidestepped and neglected,” Roget added.
He added that instead of firing workers, Petrotrin should be hiring staff as there were over 800 vacancies to be filled.
Saying that the organisation was top heavy, Roget said redundant managerial positions must be cut.
“There are high paying positions that are not necessary. In refinery there are 100 vacancies for operators. How can you refine products if there are no skilled workers? When skilled people retire they are not filling vacancies,” Roget added.
He warned that now that Petrotrin is in an unstable position, workers should not be blamed for poor management.
Roget also denied that workers were under performing.
He added that constant political interference by the Government has hampered Petrotrin’s productivity.
Calling on all Petrotrin workers to stand ready in defence of their jobs, Roget said, “We are going to tell workers that this is a Government of incompetence and they are about to destroy the fabric of a State entity that has made a significant contribution to the economy of T&T.”
The president general said despite Petrotrin’s financial burdens, it continues to contribute towards the State’s coffers.