OWTU SPEAKS   2006-09-01

Good evening and welcome to OWTU speaks.

In this sometimes, apparently, God-forsaken town, the very serious issues are usually glossed over especially when they represent big business interests. Contrary to all the high faulting platitudinous claptrap that they utter, power, politics and our politicians are favouring only the interests of big capital and the powerful and already well-to-do.

Do we remember the occasion of an International Oil Company’s default in its contractual obligations to drill four (4) exploration wells back in 2003/2004?

De we remember the penalty provided for in that particular contract?  Do we remember the demand by those whose responsibility it was to ensure that the oil major delivered on its contractual obligations or in default pay the agreed penalty – which was then costed at some $240m?

Do we remember the major appealing directly to head of the government and securing the dismissal of a conscientious, committed and well meaning professional public servant from the Board of Directors of Petrotrin?  Do we remember that victim of political servitude was only doing her job in the interest of Petrotrin and Trinidad & Tobago?  Do we not remember Mr. big Sahaip attempting to convince the country that there was much more to be benefited from Exxon conducting some seismic work and drilling one well in Trinmar’s rich soldado fields than insisting that that Multinational pay a penalty of a paltry $240M – Paltry of course to the deep pockets of Exxon?

Well it is worse than ludicrous that our local energy authorities are insipidly not worried that Exxon drilled a dry well at a cost of $55m and that that is the end of the matter as far as Exxon is concerned.  Trinmar, Petrotrin and Trinidad & Tobago are the ones left holding the BS&W end of Exxon’s drill pipe – at least $240m poorer – all because of the arrogance of the privilege of high political office.

All of that as the Petrotrin workers are inequitably treated in this period of plenty, exploited by only a few and their best friends and cronies.  But not this time! – the workers say.  Best friend and his partner had better turn around or there will be no successful turn around!  We insist on testing and inspecting every new move to find and ensure workers’ and the country’s interest.

We have a renewed appreciation for Sparrow’s 1984 gem of a calypso “Capitalism Gone Mad’. It seems that our politicians have all gone too.

Thank God it’s Friday.  Have a Peaceful Weekend.  Prepare the children for a return to school on Monday.

OWTU SPEAKS – 2006-09-06

Good evening and welcome to OWTU speaks!

The workers at the Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago Limited (Petrotrin) have applied themselves very diligently and have made the tremendous difference in the Company’s bottom-line such that the Management and the political directorate can identify Petrotrin – and very properly so - as having every potential to competitively stave off the Petro-caribe threat in the Caribbean market place – not withstanding the ingratitude of narrow minded and shorter visioned Caribbean governments. That same ingratitude however afflicts the venomous hearts and worthless minds of the Petrotrin Management and its political directorate in their relationship with the Petrotrin employees – and for this they may have to pay dearly.

We patriotically support the Prime Minister’s criticisms of the State Department’s apparent greater geo-political interests in other areas of the world and the desertion of Trinidad & Tobago by Caribbean beneficiaries of our many years of generous assistance for what seems to be an immediate short term hand-out by Petro-Caribe.  But, are the Prime Minister’s and his best friend, Executive Chairman’s response to the Petrotrin employee’s demand for fair treatment in any way significantly different from that which the Trinidad & Tobago interest is receiving from so-called friends in our space?  Somewhere and sometime ago we hear that one’s foreign policies are general shaped by one’s domestic policies.  And what is the case of the Petrotrin worker?  It is simple and quite easy if one were being fair, objective and reasonable!

The Petrotrin worker and his Union demand equity.  They demand a decent adjustment to the rates of pay and other conditions of employment which affect the workers contribution to the company’s enhanced performance and profits now and in the future.  The drastic increases in the price of food, building materials, head-line inflation and the Company’s improved profit margins substantiate the worker’s case!

The well deserved and proper treatment by the Salaries Review Commission of those top public offices and positions which fall under its purview substantiates the oil and energy worker’s case for decency, reasonableness and equity. While not cemented at an adjustment as heavy as the SRC’s 35% - 65%, the Petrotrin worker and his Union insist that nothing less than equity will suffice.

And, in this regard the overwhelming majority of the Petrotrin employees at the Supervisory and Hourly/Weekly Paid levels and very interestingly, at some managerial levels also – have decided – nay resolved – that they will engage in every necessary form of struggles to realize equity and justice.  The Union representative these workers has also resolved that energy worker is affected.  And, the nature of the OWTU has had us internalize that the Union is all its members.  A word to the wise is said to be sufficient.  As we speak this evening, the OWTU is at the Ministry of Labour trying to avert a possible crisis from occurring in the oil production, refining and marketing sectors if the economy.   Have a quiet and peaceful evening

OWTU SPEAKS – 2006-9-08

Good evening and welcome to OWTU speaks!

The problems affecting the relationship between Petrotrin and the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union have not been ameliorated even as we continue to harbour cautious optimism in that regard.

Last Wednesday evening when OWTU spoke, we had done so from the Ministry of Labour where we were meeting with conciliators in another attempt to narrow the differences between the Company and the Union and to prevent any deterioration of an already existing unhealthy and unproductive industrial relationship.  We don’t know that we failed but neither do we know that measurable progress was made in that the conciliators met with both sides separately as a sometimes necessary feature in the process of conciliation.

We are able to say today though that the Union made a significant downward adjustment to its proposal to the Labour Ministry Officials which in our view provides an even more reasonable platform for a reasonable settlement of the negotiations.  We speculate too, that by its posturings and continuing recalcitrance, the Company has not suggested to the conciliator any change in its position. And it that is in fact so, it must be very unfortunate as the workers have resolved that equity must guide any conclusion to the collective bargaining process in which we are engaged.

The Petrotrin Executive Leadership, we are informed has taken a position similar to that which unwisely saw the Company losing more than $135m in 1995 as it fought against a $32m settlement with its workers – “Pennywise and £m foolish’.   In its senseless and terminal desperation to fight down its worker and their Union the Management is even violating its own HSE Management Systems and Procedures, Inspection philosophy and some covenants to which it must subscribe to meet insurance requirements.  But desperate men and women are always likely to do desperate things.

In these regards therefore we must conclude that the injuries to two contractor employees last weekend were the result of an Executive abandonment of its responsibility to professionally manage the state’s resources of Petrotrin in a businesslike manner compliant with the highest standards of safety and health and regard for the environment.

The OWTU however continues to defend the interests of the employees and all staff of the Company and that of the people of Trinidad & Tobago.  We continue to demand fair treatment, justice and equity for all.

Have a good evening and peaceful weekend.

OWTU SPEAKS – 2006-09-22

The plain truth is that those who are denying the Government’s interest in acquiring a private Jet Plane are coming across as pathological liars.  The thing must have a genesis.  It could well be a childhood dream to own an aero plane – a dream that did not materialize – even as a toy a Christmas time.  Neither would a ride with Repsol or any other highflier quench the thirst of an insatiable longing for one’s flight of fancy in one’s own Jet.

It is no secret that our abundant oil bonanza dollars can more than afford a $315m Jet Plane even if we are unable to fix our everyday traffic jams, or our hospitals to allow all our babies a fair chance to live, or our schools and education systems, or the production and delivery of potable water!  Sure, - the desire to have a private executive jet was expressed even as the pathological ones were restructuring a destruct of BeeWee.  It is like one has taken licence to do what one wants, however one wants, whenever one wants- never mind the consequences.  One has become lord over all that one surveys – his executive right, there is none to dispute.  The opposition is dead!  It first stole, got drunk, fought with itself and died.  It was no good anyway – it was never any good.  Now, one wants to read its final rites and leader of the pathos flaps his corbeau wings over a carcas of a vermin which he believes he slew.  But say what!  Not a nice way to end a hard week is it?  On Sunday, this weekend we celebrate thirty (3) years of Republican status as a country.

The OWTU extends congratulations and many best wishes to our national community on our attainment and all that we have accomplished so far.  We must call on all our inner strengths to preserve and promote our democracy and resolve to ameliorate the very many wrongs, injustices, prejudices and inequities which still prevail.