PROTESTS CONTINUE AT T&TEC | Local news

The Oilfield Workers Union (OWTU) staged a series of protests on Wednesday at the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) offices in eastern, northern, central and southern Trinidad and Tobago, during which they called for company to address the concerns of its employees.

Stating that the demonstration was not industrial action, OWTU general president Ancel Roget said the protests, which took place simultaneously across the country, would continue to escalate during workers’ free time.

On Wednesday in Freeport, Roget joined employees in a peaceful protest.

“The workers at T&TEC are fed up. When you see workers taking time off after work to engage in protest action, sacrificing time they could have been at home. But they want the general public to know that all is not well at T&TEC. This is not the workers interrupting the service. They sacrifice their own time,” Roget said.

He added that although this was not industrial action, the strike will continue to escalate until the employees receive proper redress.

“It’s not just here in Freeport. It is happening simultaneously in T&TEC operations in Arima, Port of Spain, Mt Hope, San Fernando, Central, Rio Claro and in Tobago,” he said.

He said T&TEC workers were denied a proper medical plan, did not receive a proper wage adjustment, worked in unsafe working conditions and were victims of corruption caused by “contractors who jumped from their jobs ” and “politicians who parachuted their own friends into the unit. “.

“We are against the level of corruption in T&TEC. This action will not stop until we get redress for workers who rightfully deserve better treatment. Not just for T&TEC but for the benefit of Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.

Injunctive relief

Following the strike action by T&TEC workers on October 25 and 26, T&TEC sought an injunction from the Industrial Court last Sunday to prevent further acts of “unlawful industrial action”. The protests, he said, had “severely affected” his operations as employees did not show up for duty.

In a press release on Sunday, T&TEC said in line with its commitment to do all it can to provide a safe and reliable supply of electricity without interruption, it has approached the Industrial Court to seek an injunction against OWTU to prevent further acts. of illegal industrial action that took place on 25 and 26 October and had a serious impact on the Commission’s operations as certain workers did not report for duty.

“The legal action was based on the union’s refusal to accede to the Commission’s requests to stop further acts of unlawful industrial action and to require its members to cease and desist from further unlawful action.

Consequently, the Commission had no other option than to apply to the court. The union, after being notified of the Commission’s request, presented itself through a lawyer and, taking into account the Commission’s arguments, committed itself to the following terms:

COMPANY

PARTY NO. 2 (OWTU) undertakes before the Court that:

I. Party no. 2, either by its President, the Executive and/or Union members who are employees of Party no. 1 (T&TEC) and/or members of its negotiating units within Party no. 1 or in any other way, will not initiate and/or continue and/or undertake any industrial action, or any other form of unlawful retention of labour; and II. Part no. 2 will immediately instruct the members of the Union who are employees of Party no. 1 and/or members of its negotiation units within Party no. 1 not to initiate or take part in any industrial action and report for their duty on the list as required in accordance with the terms of their contracts of employment and the general law of Trinidad and Tobago.

T&TEC said, contrary to a press release issued earlier on Sunday by the OWTU, the commitment made by the Union has the same effect as an ordinance.

In response to the lawsuit during a press conference at the union’s Paramount building in San Fernando on Monday, Roget said the Commission is bullying its employees.