September 2001 will certainly be recorded as a historic month in the calendar of the OWTU and of Trinidad and Tobago. The tumultuous events of September were heralded by the Independence March on August 29^th.

More than 5,000 people, with a very large and powerful blue shirted OWTU contingent in the lead, took part in that 8 mile long march from Mt. Hope to Port of Spain. Top of the agenda of issues being highlighted by that Demonstration was Corruption, the threat to destroy Petrotrin and the struggle against the exploitation of workers.

The success of the August 29^th March was the signal for workers to explode into action! Beginning in early September, first oilworkers on offshore platforms contracted to bp, then construction workers at the Atlantic LNG trains 2&3 plants, then oilworkers at Petrotrin engaged in Disciplined Mass Action to press home their demands.

It was action in the finest tradition of the OWTU. It was action taken in the spirit of 1937! Vanguard congratulates the thousands of workers who took part in these mass actions. You have clearly demonstrated the capacity of the working class to “manners” the owners and managers of capital.

Elsewhere in this issue we highlight the struggle of the workers offshore, who for three weeks stood firm and refused to work until the issue of their shift arrangements were dealt with by their employers and by bp. Efforts by the management and the state to intimidate the workers all failed as the workers insisted that a settlement could be reached without the Industrial Court intervening.

At the construction site of LNG trains 2&3, more than 2,500 workers downed tools for two weeks in solidarity with two of their colleagues who tragically died as a result of an on the job accident. Workers protested the lack of proper safety measures and procedures at the site as well as the refusal by Atlantic LNG to involve the OWTU in the accident investigation. The workers’ worst fears of a company cover-up were confirmed when the accident report tried to pin the blame for the deaths on the workers themselves. We have also highlighted this struggle in this issue.

At Petrotrin, what started out as a protest by workers at Pointe a Pierre soon spread to all of Petrotrin’s operations, including Trinmar as oilworkers seized the moment to express their total “fedupness” with the policies of Management.

Workers at Petrotrin are fed up of the company policy of having permanent work done by non permanent labour – temporary, casual and ever increasingly contract labour. This has gotten much worse since the recent VSEP. Safety has been seriously compromised as entire departments are reduced to just a handful of permanent workers, while essential work is being done by inexperienced and untrained contractor workers.

Indeed, so intent is the company to cut costs that they are even now getting rid of experienced temporary workers and using contractors instead. And of course the use of contractors enhances the opportunity for corruption as for each contract something has to be run.

Workers are fed up of the company’s refusal to bring to finality the already agreed upon medical plan, to bring the Petrotrin Housing Plan in line with that of Trinmar. Workers are fed up with the company’s duplicity on the issue of Trinmar’s governance. Workers are fed up with the company violating the agreement to cease the lease-out, farm-out of oil wells.

These were just some of the issues that triggered the action that hit Petrotrin between Thursday 20^th and Friday 28^th September. Jagai and company were shocked by the action. Like all owners and managers of capital, they are arrogant and believe that workers will never challenge their power. Today they know differently. And oilworkers are saying – what happened in those 7 days is just the smoke, the fire ….!

While workers were exploding with Disciplined Mass action, the ruling party was imploding and disintegrating! The internal conflict erupted with greater ferocity as the month went along. It is clear that the government has all but collapsed, with the Attorney General and two other Ministers using the issue of corruption to attack the Prime Minister.

Workers must remember that long before Ramesh, Trevor and Ralph jumped on the anti-corruption bandwagon, the OWTU spearheaded by our President General began to expose corruption in the government. In November and December 2000, in the lead up to the General Elections, we launched the “Integrity Platform” and, together with other independent trade unions and NGOs, organized Public Meetings on the issue of corruption and other matters affecting workers. Our struggle to bring about proper governance, transparency and accountability is now being recognized by the entire country! The struggle continues!

temporary workers and using contractors instead. And of course the use of contractors enhances the opportunity for corruption as for each contract something has to be run.

Workers are fed up of the company’s refusal to bring to finality the already agreed upon medical plan, to bring the Petrotrin Housing Plan in line with that of Trinmar. Workers are fed up with the company’s duplicity on the issue of Trinmar’s governance. Workers are fed up with the company violating the agreement to cease the lease-out, farm-out of oil wells.

These were just some of the issues that triggered the action that hit Petrotrin between Thursday 20^th and Friday 28^th September. Jagai and company were shocked by the action. Like all owners and managers of capital, they are arrogant and believe that workers will never challenge their power. Today they know differently. And oilworkers are saying – what happened in those 7 days is just the smoke, the fire ….!

While workers were exploding with Disciplined Mass action, the ruling party was imploding and disintegrating! The internal conflict erupted with greater ferocity as the month went along. It is clear that the government has all but collapsed, with the Attorney General and two other Ministers using the issue of corruption to attack the Prime Minister.

Workers must remember that long before Ramesh, Trevor and Ralph jumped on the anti-corruption bandwagon, the OWTU spearheaded by our President General began to expose corruption in the government. In November and December 2000, in the lead up to the General Elections, we launched the “Integrity Platform” and, together with other independent trade unions and NGOs, organized Public Meetings on the issue of corruption and other matters affecting workers. Our struggle to bring about proper governance, transparency and accountability is now being recognized by the entire country! The struggle continues!

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The powerful Formal Opening on Friday at which the President General in his Address outlined the many achievements of the Union over the past year, described the challenges facing the labour movement and warned that the state of the nation, being corrupt to the core, needed the intervention of the OWTU.

The Feature Address by Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, one of the leaders of the Working People’s Alliance and former Member of Parliament. Dr. Roopnaraine, who also spoke at the Formal Opening condemned the present process of globalisation as the continuation of the process of colonial conquest and imperial exploitation that began with slavery and indenture. He detailed the crisis of Guyana’s politics of ethnic mobilization and the dead-end struggle by the two traditional parties to win government office. This has resulted in the impoverishment of the Guyanese people in what ought is a country rich in resources.

UNANIMOUS APPROVAL FOR THE YEAR IN REVIEW

The Report of the General Council came in for extremely high praise from the many Delegates who spoke. Delegates referred to the leadership of the Union’s Central Executive and President General, in particular, in the securing of very substantial increases in wages, salaries and other working conditions for thousands of members employed in oil, electricity, manufacturing and services.

Delegates also initiated an important discussion on issues raised in the Report pertaining to the sustained attack on workers’ job security as a result of privatizations, trade liberalization and the casualisation of the labour force and mandated the Union to engage in a major campaign on these issues. The Report was passed unanimously by the Delegates.

The Audited Financial Statement of the Union for the year 2000 was discussed in detail by Delegates. Once again the OWTU’s leadership came in for high praise for the excellent job of managing the Union’s resources. Delegates referred to the Management Letter by the External Auditor, Mr. Alwin Clunis, which stated inter alia: “The above financial statements are a very good presentation of the OWTU which must be a reflection of your most comprehensive chart of accounts and effective computer oriented accounting infrastructure as executed by well trained staff. These financial statements are certainly among the best I have seen prepared by a Union”.

Delegates made a number of suggestions for further maximizing the Union’s financial resources and other assets. At the end of the debate both the Audited Financial Statement 2000 and the Budget 2002 were passed by a unanimous vote.

The only Resolution listed for debate was one that came form the Hydro Agri Unit, and was piloted by Sylvan Wilson, President of that Unit. The Resolution sought to have amended certain of the Regulations pertaining to the Union’s Central Executive Elections. An extensive Debate ensued on this Resolution. It was pointed out by a number of Delegates that under the Rule 14(1) of the Union, the Regulations for the conduct of elections shall be drawn up by the General Council, that the very Resolution to amend the Regulations was brought to the General Council by Sylvan Wilson but could not be considered because he could not get it seconded. It was therefore highly unusual for it to be brought to the Annual Conference. At the end of the debate, the resolution was overwhelmingly defeated, the vote being 7 in favour of amending the Regulations, 108 Against and with 5 Abstentions. The Annual Conference therefore demonstrated in no uncertain manner that it was satisfied with the Union’s Election Rules and Regulations.

In discussing the way forward for the Union, under the Agenda Item “General Business”, Delegates unanimously agreed to a proposal by the President General that there should be a full scale mobilization of our members and other concerned workers and nationals for the first of a series of Mass Action to be taken on August 29^th. The issues to be targeted in that mobilization include corruption, the destruction of the oil industry, privatization, threats to job security and other attacks on workers.

OWTU PREPARED TO GO FORWARD IN STRUGGLE

The consensus by Delegates at the end of the 62^nd Annual Conference is that the OWTU is well prepared to go forward in struggle and to provide the independent, fearless leadership that the country so desperately needs at this time of moral and political bankruptcy.

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March Against Corruption

While the internal crisis within the UNC deepens, with both sides – the Prime Minister/ political leader on the one hand and the Attorney General/deputy political leader on the other – visiting constituencies, the most significant event of the last week was the Independence March organized by the group of independent trade unions and NGOs.

The media has been trying to downplay the march with references to “hundreds” of marchers. That reporting can only be meant to send a signal to the wider population that the march was not successful. Of course nothing could be further from the truth. The Police put the size at 5,000. Those of us involved in organizing the march felt it was between 5-7,000 strong.

There is no doubt that outside of Labour Day in Fyzabad, this was the largest march in the country for the last 8 years! The fact that 5-7,000 people decided that they would march the almost 8 miles from Mt. Hope to Woodford Square – and on a working day as well! – cannot be downplayed. More than that, after getting into Woodford Square after a three hour walk in the sun, the crowd did not dissipate. They stood for another 2 ½ hours to listen to addresses by the leaders of the organisations involved.

The breadth of the participating unions was also of significance. This was not just an activity by the unions that have historically been involved in the radical trade union movement. The Prison Officers Association and the Fire Services Association were there. The sugar industry was also there with contingents from TICFA led by Raffique Shah, the Sugar Industry Staff Association and the Association of Technical, Administrative and Supervisory Staff – both representing sections of Caroni’s workforce. Very much present too was the Contractors and General Workers’ Trade Union and the Seamen and Waterfront Workers’ Trade Union. Significant labour power was therefore demonstrated last Wednesday.

The march also generated a lot of popular support as it made its way into Port of Spain. People ran out of business-places and homes to see the marchers. They clapped, shouted words of support, punched the air with their fists and some spontaneously joined in as well. They knew the importance of the march. And those who saw it as it passed by no doubt have told others about it. The power of this march, the longest march that has been held for decades, cannot be hidden nor denied.

This says something about the mood of the people and their preparedness to intervene in the crisis. People came out to make a statement, to take a stand – against corruption and all the ills of governance that we now experience. Wednesday August 29^th was the first of a series of disciplined mass actions that are being organized by the independent trade unions and NGOs. The next will be on September 24^th – Republic Day. The specific form of this action will be announced shortly.

There is no doubt that the power of Wednesday’s march and the potential that it displayed has worried the political directorate and forced those trade union leaders who are in alliance (the Prime Minister’s term) with the government, to come out of their crease. The display by one such trade union leader on the morning of the march was absolutely shameless. But then later that evening the reason behind the timing of his comments became more evident – his union hosting the PM at a function required, no doubt, some effort to prove loyalty.

The Prime Minister responded accordingly with the comment that it was good to be in the company of trade union leaders “who he can trust”. Trust to do what, one may ask. “Defend the party and government before defending the interests of workers and the country” would be the logical answer. This fundamental divergence of positions is the precise reason that NATUC collapsed and there is now a split in the trade union movement.

The hostility of the attacks by the Prime Minister and his defenders in the trade unions against the mobilisation of the independent unions is a direction reflection of the power behind Wednesday’s march and the Labour Day demonstration and Rally in Fyzabad two months ago. I have no doubt that Mr. Panday fears disciplined mass actions organized by the independent trade unions much more than he fears internal dissent in his party, even when such dissent is being led by as powerful an individual as his AG.

The reason is that Mr. Panday can always appeal to the core of the UNC support as the person who led them out of “bondage” and into the “promised land”. He has done so twice – first as trade union leader when he moved sugar workers out of desperate poverty into some semblance of worker dignity. And then as political leader he moved them out of opposition where they had languished and into government. It is not easy for another person to get people to shift their loyalty away from the leader who has done all that. To do so would be to be ungrateful.