Read this article in:
7 August, 2006
Trinidad and Tobago’s Labour Ministry will convene another conciliation meeting tomorrow, 8 August, in order to avert further job actions by trade unionists of ICEM affiliate Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU). Hundreds of OWTU members shut down the country’s only oil refinery at Point-a-Pierre from 23 July to 27 July in protest to state-run oil company Petrotrin’s insufficient three-year contract offer.
OWTU has been attempting to reach an accord with Petrotrin for 1,500 refinery, exploration and production workers since last year. The labour dispute centers on wages and general work terms and conditions. All five labour agreements – covering 5,000 workers – between OWTU and the company have now expired, and the union is seeking a fair and just settlement for renewal agreements dating from 2005 to 2008.
On 24 July, Petrotrin requested government mediation. Refinery workers, frustrated by management’s bargaining table intransigence in a time of booming oil and gas profits, began job actions a day earlier. The two parties met with Labour Ministry officials on 27 July and again on 3 August in attempts to resolve issues, and tomorrow’s meeting is termed pivotal in terms of future actions.
“The demonstration by workers recently was a show of disgust over the company’s meagre offer,” said OWTU President Errol McLeod. “The situation is not stable enough now to assure anybody that more demonstrations will not occur.”
OWTU members at the former Texaco refinery in Point-a-Pierre did strike on 5-6 June over stalled talks, in addition to safety issues. Other Petrotrin workers, including offshore workers, struck a month earlier due to lack of progress in negotiations. In March, refinery workers began the job actions by waging two separate strikes.
The Point-a-Pierre refinery produces 160,000 barrels-per-day of petrol, diesel and oil for domestic consumption and export to other Caribbean nations and the US. The refinery is expanding to include a US$150 million methanol plant for gas to liquids conversion. Petrotrin will have 49% ownership in the new enterprise, with the 2,250 barrel-per-day plant led by New York-based start-up company World GTL