The Oilfield’ Workers’ Trade Union says it fears that 9,000 workers would be directly affected by the closure of State oil company Petrotrin and has signalled that it will be exploring all possibilities including legal action, to get the Government and the Board of Petrotrin to reverse the decision to shut down the company.

Speaking to the T&T Guardian yesterday, Education and Research Officer of the OWTU Ozzie Warwick said the union had also known that the plan was to exit all 3,500 workers since the presentation made by Petrotrin chairman Wilfred Espinet to the union on August 28.

Warwick said, “This is exactly what the union was saying. We have always said they are planning to send home all the workers.”

The Sunday Guardian reported yesterday that Espinet had confirmed that 3,500 employees would be sent home and would have to reapply for jobs.

Warwick said the real number was far higher than the reported 3,500.

According to Warwick, in addition to the 3,500 permanent workers, 2,000 casual and temporary workers and about 3,500 workers who were employed by various contractors will also be sent home.

The union is due to hold a news conference today which will be addressed by OWTU president general Ancel Roget.

Yesterday, Roget was unavailable for comment as was the Espinet who did not answer calls to his mobile phone.

Warwick accused Espinet of being less than honest when he said there was no plan to destroy the union.

Warwick said: “You send home 3,500 permanent workers plus the 2,000 causal and temporary workers who are also part of our membership, that is decimating our bargaining unit—it is union busting that is unfolding. The chairman he cannot say he not about to lick up OWTU, but that action of sending home 3,500 permanent workers and casual workers will do that.”

Warwick said the OWTU would be exploring all different possibilities including legal action. We are prepared to do everything that we can to reverse that decision.”

He said: This is why the union worked hard he said to “make sure that we had an alternative plan, so that the country will know there is a choice and the narrative that the country had no choice is just not true.”

He said when the union last met with the Petrotrin Board, Espinet promised that when next they met they would be able to go through the alternative and meet the people who came up with the numbers. But so far, he said, this had not happened.

Warwick said the union would be pushing for the meeting.

“Our point is that with a major decision like this, the country needs to know what is your rationale.” he stated.

He said there had been no hint that closure was on the board not even when the chairman appeared before Parliament’s Joint Select Committee in February or at any meeting with the union not even in April when a Memorandum of Understanding was signed.

Warwick said once the company was closed and workers had to reapply for their jobs, they would not be allowed to join a trade union and their terms and conditions would be inferior.

“This is not just about union busting but they are going to decimate the terms and conditions of workers in the oil and gas industry,” he said.

VINODE MAMCHAN

Play, fight, win repeat.

This is exactly what the Trinbago Knight Riders did moments ago, as they were crowned 2018 Hero Caribbean Premier League champions with an eight-wicket victory over the Guyana Amazon Warriors at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba.

The TKR, seeking to earn back-to-back titles and their third overall, ran down a victory target off 148 set by the Warriors to lift their third CPL crown much to the delight of 18,000 fans who transformed the ground into a sea of red.

Warriors, having been sent in, scored 148 for nine off their 20 overs and TKR responded without problems in reaching 150-2 with 15 balls to spare.

Chasing 148 could have been a tricky target on a slow pitch but TKR played a wildcard by sending in wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin to open the batting with Brendan McCullum.

This proved a brilliant move by skipper Dwayne Bravo as Ramdin turned the scoring over while McCullum went after the bowling. The two knocked the stuffing out of the Warriors attack in posting a half-century opening partnership.

McCullum was dismissed for a 24-ball 39 that came with five fours and two sixes. Ramdin continued to knock the ball around in partnership with Player of the Tournament Colin Munro, but rain stopped them in their tracks at 65 for one. After a lengthy delay, the players came back on and the two continued their work.

When Ramdin left hit wicket for 24 the score was 87 and the TKR had gotten a great platform to launch the win. Munro then stayed the course, scoring 68 not out and crossing 500 runs in the process. He faced a total off 69 balls, hitting six fours and three sixes.

Earlier, Bravo won the toss and elected to send Warriors in to bat. He threw the ball to his trusted opening soldier Muhammad Ali Khan and after a few seconds 18,000 fans were on their feet jumping as he castled Cameron Delport’s off stump.

Luke Ronchi and Shimron Hetmyer then recovered well in taking the score to 46 for one after the end of the powerplay. They pushed the score to 52 before the wheels fell apart.

Fawad Ahmed, the leading wicket-taker in this tournament, was struck for six by Hetmyer but next delivery he hanged a googlie just outside off stump and the left-hander edged to Dwayne Bravo at slip. Hetmyer made 15 and soon after he was joined by a number of Warriors batsmen in the dugout.

Man-of-the-match Khary Pierre, the Queen’s Park Cricket Club, left-arm orthodox spinner who was dropped for the semis, came back like a true champion and removed Ronchi for 44. The Kiwi made his runs off 35 balls with six fours and a six. Pierre then accounted for Chadwick Walton for one and reserved one of the better moments of this tournament for soon after. The dangerous Shurfane Rutherford struck a mighty blow right back to him and Pierre completed a blistering reflex catch. This took the TKR spirit to another level and soon Warriors were reduced to 109 for eight.

Towards the end, the Warriors got away a bit and ended on 147 off their allotted 20 overs. Pierre ended with 3/29, while Bravo took 2/30.

Kidnap victim Natalie Pollonais has written to Police Commissioner Gary Griffith telling him that the Police Service gave her back her “life,” and her “very heart and soul.” And she says despite what she experienced she will stop at the next roadblock once all the necessary parameters are met.

Griffith told a gathering at the Greater Tunapuna Chamber of Industry and Commerce yesterday that Pollonais wrote to him by letter dated September 16 (on Sunday) and gave him permission to read the contents publicly.

In her letter, Pollonais noted that “normally words come easy to me,” but she said, “For the first time ever they elude me. How do you thank the men and women who have given you back not only your life but your very heart and soul?” she asked.

Pollonais was kidnapped on September 6 as she was driving to meet a friend after leaving the gym at the C3 Centre.

She was “extracted” from the hands of her kidnappers four days later on the evening of September 10.

Griffith said he made the “judgment call” to move in and “extract” Pollonais from her kidnappers based on “proper intelligence and operation,” and it worked.

He reiterated that the ransom was never paid. “It shows we are in the right direction. I know two officers were held and we will hold many more if they continue to do so,” he said.

In her letter to Griffith, Pollonais said she and her family will be “forever grateful” to the commissioner, the members of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad “and all those in the Police Service who worked tirelessly for my safe return.’

She said that her faith in Trinidad and Tobago was restored on September 10.

“When I became aware of the intelligence co-ordination of resources, the tactical courage and dedication that was implemented by all in order for me to go home to my family. A simple statement for some, but for me it was everything.”

Her rescue, she said, “Clearly shows how unbreakable the bundle of sticks is. We have shown that when Trinidad unites here is nothing that we cannot overcome.”

Pollonais admitted to being “deeply saddened” that citizens still want to “stand apart, still want to separate the bundle. When will we stop being East Indian, Chinese, African, Syrian and white men, when will we just be Trini?” she asked.

Pollonais told the commissioner “like you I pray for that day because it is the day we will begin to heal.”

She extended a heartfelt thanks to the wives, and family members of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad and the Police Service, “who went without their husbands, wives and parents so that they could continuously search for me. I am humbled by their sacrifice,” she said.

Declaring that “God works in mysterious ways,” Pollonais told Griffith that she was “blessed for the knowledge, courage and intelligence that he gifted you, the Anti-Kidnapping squad and the Police Service with.”

She said, “All the prayers that touch your hearts, minds and bodies to guide and direct everyone in the right direction, Jesus I trust in you.”

Pollonais assured Griffith that she will stop at the next roadblock “after ensuring that all the necessary parameters have been met,” those include two or more marked police vehicles and several police officers in official uniform.”

Griffith said the contents of the letter “sums up what I ask all citizens to do.”

“It is time for us to circle the wagons if we work together with the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service and law abiding citizens of this country it will be an unbreakable combination,” he said.

kevon.felmine@guardian.co.tt

Detectives probing the kidnapping of Palmiste mother Natalie Pollonais were seeking advice from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions on whether to charge four men who were arrested last week.

Up to late yesterday, the officers from the San Fernando CID were awaiting instructions. No charges have been laid against the two police constables, a labourer and contractor held for the kidnapping.

However, police said they were carrying out further enquiries to ensure that the prosecution has a solid case to present to the court.

Pollonais, 49, of Palmiste, is the wife of Ja­son Pol­lon­ais, a di­rec­tor of the South Oropouche-based Inland and Offshore Contractors Ltd (IO­CL).

CCTV footage showed that she left in her BMW 5308 hy­brid sedan around 11.30 am. It also showed two men dressed in police uniform entering a white Nissan AD Wagon around the same time. One of the men was holding onto a registration plate.

Hours later, she was reported missing and San Fer­nan­do CID and South­ern Di­vi­sion Task Force found her car aban­doned in the park­ing lot of an apart­ment build­ing at Cy­press Hills, Union Hall.

The car had a false registration plate. Her kid­nap­pers then de­mand­ed a US$300,000 ran­som for her re­turn.

Four days later, police con­ducted sur­veil­lance on a white Nis­san AD Wag­on that went to a ho­tel in Ca­roni and left min­utes lat­er.

The wagon was intercepted along the Churchill- Roosevelt Highway in El Socorro. The labourer, who was driving the wagon was arrested.

Southern Division CID then went to the La Romaine Police Post where they arrested the two officers while they were on duty.

The Judiciary is defending its move to introduce an electronic payment method for court fees and fines.

In his address at the Ceremonial Opening of the 2018/2019 Law Term yesterday, Chief Justice Ivor Archie sought to deflect criticism over its Courtpay system, which was implemented for making and receiving monthly child maintenance payments.

Archie said he was astounded by some commentary on the issue, including claims the system breached the doctrine of separation of powers.

“The Judiciary has always been a revenue collecting centre and a very responsible one at that...We seize property and conduct auctions, so please, before you tell us how to run the place, it might be helpful to educate yourself,” Archie said, as he noted that even doubles vendors were now using electronic payments.

He said that since the system was introduced in April, 320 people had volunteered to use it. According to Archie, users of the system were the only citizens who were able to access maintenance payments after courts across T&T closed briefly in the aftermath of last month’s 6.9 magnitude earthquake.

He also sought to dismiss criticism of the small user fee for the system.

“Contrary to concerns in some quarters, there is nothing illegal about a small user fee similar to that paid by anyone using Linx or other comparable systems,” he said, as he revealed the entire system cost the Judiciary less than $100,000 to implement.

Archie also said Parliament was currently debating introducing the system for all other court fees and fines, as he suggested such a move would improve safety, accessibility and would be more convenient for court users.

The Payment in Courts Bill is currently before the House of Representatives and was adjourned to next Wednesday after Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi introduced amendments during yesterday’s Parliamentary debate.

Archie said such reforms were necessary as the country continues to battle with economic issues.

“One of the exciting challenges of managing reform in times of financial stringency is that we are being forced to become more and more efficient,” Archie said.

Speaking with reporters after the ceremony, Law Association of T&T (LATT) president Douglas Mendes, SC, denied his organisation was opposed to the system. Rather, he said there merely made suggestions on how to improve it.

“For example, one of the suggestions we made was instead of putting all the money the Judiciary collects into one account, we should put it into separate accounts so there isn’t any intermingling of funds,” Mendes said.

He also suggested that fines should not be paid into an account bearing the Judiciary’s name.

“The point is if a judge fines someone for the commission of an offence and then the money ends up in an account in the Judiciary’s name, it could potentially give the impression that the Judiciary has an interest in the process,” Mendes said.

A former bpTT employee has become the first person to be hired in the new Exploration and Production Company that is to emerge from State-owned Petrotrin.

Nigel Campbell has been hired as the company’s new Chief Financial Officer and the announcement was made last Friday by Raynold Ajodhasingh, a member of Petrotrin’s board of directors.

In an internal memo dated September 14, 2018, Ajodhasingh said, “Please be advised that Mr Nigel Campbell has been appointed Chief Financial Officer with effect from 2018 September 1. Your support and co-operation with Mr Campbell would be appreciated.”

Cambell’s appointment is in keeping with a statement made by Petrotrin chairman Wilfred Espinet that all Petrotrin employees will be sent home and the 800 jobs in the new Exploration and Production company will be open to anyone and not just former employees.

Campbell’s LinkedIn profile shows that he worked at bpTT as its Financial Comptroller from 1997 to 2002, before moving on to work for three years as a financial adviser to the Bermuda government. In 2006, Campbell worked as a financial advisor with BHP and from 2008 to 2013 was the finance manager at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. Campbell has since worked as the financial comptroller for the Trinidad operations of Stork Technical Services International. He holds a BSC in Industrial Management, is also a certified public accountant and has an MBA in Leadership, Innovation and Management.

Contacted on the issue yesterday, in an interview with the Sunday Guardian, Espinet said Campbell had been contracted to facilitate the transition.

In an interview with the Sunday Guardian, Espinet had said the decision was taken to “wipe the slate clean” and ensure that the new E&P Company was not “saddled with the baggage of the old Petrotrin.”

“We want a new company that will have no baggage and will be in a position to generate cash flows to pay its debt and make a return to the shareholder. In sending home all the employees from E&P, so we avoid contention on why one person was allowed to stay on and another let go. Plus we will need people with certain types of knowledge and skill sets that may not now exist in the organisation, so we felt we should terminate everyone,” Espinet explained.

Asked if this meant that the Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union would no longer be the recognised trade union in this new company, Espinet said, “You will have to ask them that yourself.”

Last month, the decision to shut down the refinery was announced and at that time it was revealed that the 1,700 workers in the refinery would be retrenched.

Espinet said finding a private partner for the new E&P was also a distinct possibility.

“You know this business much better than me and people tell us that we could significantly increase crude production, and that is great, but to do that, I know it will cost a lot of money which we do not have. So I am thinking we can have a partner in the company, we may have a partner to do specific things in specific areas. What I am saying is that there are many possibilities.”

The OWTU has accused the Government of shutting down Petrotrin in an effort to sell it to the private sector.

Chief Justice Ivor Archie has broken his silence in relation to misconduct allegations levelled against him, saying they are false and unsubstantiated.

“Over the past ten months it is true that the Judiciary has been faced with the challenge of me being the subject of more than 20 articles making false and unsubstantiated allegations,” Archie said during his speech at the Ceremonial Opening of the 2018/2019 Law Term at the Hall of Justice in Port-of-Spain yesterday.

“It has never been my position that I am not accountable, but all too often rumour and innuendo, when continually regurgitated, miraculously assume the mantle of fact.”

It was the first time that Archie had publicly spoken on the issue since the allegations were raised in a series of newspaper reports in November last year.

While he admitted that he did not take legal action against the author of the reports or their publisher, Archie noted that he may do so in the future.

“All of us in T&T value and need a free and responsible press. For that reason I have thus far been restrained in my legal responses to certain false allegations made in the media, although I do reserve my right at an appropriate time to such recourse as I have as a private citizen,” Archie said.

Referring to his failed lawsuit against the Council of the Law Association over its ongoing investigation into the allegations, Archie noted that the country’s highest appellate court, the Privy Council, ruled that Section 137 of the Constitution was the only method that could be used to remove him from office. (See editorial on Page A18)

“I will continue to discharge my oath and my solemn obligations to the public and I expect and call on other stakeholders to do the same,” the CJ said.

The allegations against Archie have polarised the Judiciary and the legal fraternity, with some of his colleagues breaking tradition to speak out against him. Two senior judges, Justice Frank Seepersad and Justice Carol Gobin, told the T&T Guardian over the weekend that they were boycotting yesterday’s opening ceremony in protest over the CJ’s conduct since the allegations were made.

Yesterday, by the T&T Guardian’s count, about three-quarters of 48 High Court and Appeal Court Judges of the Judiciary, including Archie, were present for yesterday’s ceremony.

In an interview afterwards, Law Association president Douglas Mendes, SC, confirmed that his organisation’s investigation into the allegations against Archie is still ongoing.

“I have no further statements to make until the process is complete. Whatever the outcome of the process, a special general meeting of our members will be called,” Mendes said.

Mendes also admitted that the investigation was not complete when the association called a meeting to discuss it in mid-March. The meeting and the investigation had to be postponed after Archie obtained an injunction against the association, which was subsequently overturned by the Court of Appeal and Privy Council.

“The process wasn’t complete and we are completing it,” Mendes said.

Child rights activist Diana Mahabir-Wyatt is calling for a special purpose facility for the rehabilitation of child offenders.

Delivering the feature address at the Service of Divine Worship for the Ceremonial Opening of the 2018/2019 Law Term at City Hall in Port-of-Spain yesterday, Mahabir-Wyatt described the lack of such a facility as a crack in the justice system for children.

“I am grateful there are cracks because it is through the cracks we can truly see where the problems are. So we can see the light and we can see where we can begin healing,” Mahabir-Wyatt said as she claimed there was a “desperate need” to address the issue.

The use of the Youth Training Facility (YTC) and industrial schools to house child offenders on remand for serious crimes was deemed illegal by High Court Judge Vasheist Kokaram in 2015. Since then, however, children on remand have been housed in facilities operated by the Children’s Authority.

However, YTC is only meant to house convicted male teenagers and not younger or female offenders.

Mahabir-Wyatt explained that the facility she proposed would be staffed by specially trained personnel who would be able to properly assess and address the issues affecting child offenders, including mental illness, abuse and drug addiction.

“Children do commit crimes but they do so because they have learnt from us,” she said, as she called upon judicial officers to listen to the needs and concerns of child offenders before them.

“They get into drugs not because it is something native to them, but they have gotten into it because of circumstances out of their control,” she added.

While Mahabir-Wyatt said the lack of a facility is a major concern, she noted that Parliament and the Judiciary had made positive steps to ensure the children’s rights are protected.

Describing the Children’s Court as “most impressive”, Mahabir-Wyatt noted that it had dealt with almost 1,100 cases involving child offenders since it was launched in February.

“It (the court) is not there only to punish. That court has advocates for children, because very often they don’t know how to speak in court or for themselves,” she said.

She also noted that the court’s use of peer assessors to adjudicate on less serious criminal offences has had its desired effect.

“Remember you are talking to children who have learned from bitter experience not to trust adults over the age of 30,” she said.

Mahabir-Wyatt, who has over three decades of experience in working with NGOs and State commissions and committees on children’s rights, also thanked Police Commissioner Gary Griffith, who she said was instrumental in establishing the Child Protection Unit of the T&T Police Service (TTPS) during his stint as national security minister. See Page A6

Chief Justice Ivor Archie has defended the Judicial and Legal Service Commission (JLSC)’s recruitment policy for judicial officers.

In his address at the Ceremonial Opening of the 2018/2019 Law Term yesterday, Archie, who chairs the JLSC, spent a considerable amount of time raising questions on a report on the issue, prepared by a special committee appointed by the Law Association of T&T (LATT), earlier this year.

“Although it contains some helpful observations, some of which I am in agreement with, I find myself respectfully unable to agree with several of its implicit and explicit assumptions,” Archie said, as he described his observations as constructive criticism.

Archie firstly took issue with the committee’s statements about the diversity of judicial officers as he debated whether it is, in fact, a problem.

“I suggest that at the High Court level there is no shortage of females, while the appellate bench simply reflects past historical trends for entry into the profession and not any bias in the appointment process, given the length of the period required to become an appellate judge,” Archie said.

He was also critical of the committee’s suggestion that a written examination for prospective judges was unfair to some candidates.

“Judges are required to produce written work of a high quality on short notice, as well as clear and logically reasoned extemporaneous decisions. That is the job that they are applying for and that is what the test is meant to assess,” Archie said, as he explained that such exams are used in business executive recruitment.

“Lawyers, I’m afraid, have no corner on integrity. If you do not have the humility to come and submit yourself to an exam, then you are lacking a key competency for the job.”

Archie also addressed the committee’s calls for additional consultation with the association prior to appointments, as he pointed out that it was used in the past but led to undue external influence in the process.

As he suggested that the association could help in the process, Archie said: “Since we are in the business of offering constructive suggestions, perhaps the LATT could assist by helping to make compulsory continuing education a reality, including training in the relevant skills identified, such as management of people and resources, so that we have a pool of applicants from which to make our selections.”

He also sought to debunk the committee’s concerns over the psychometric evaluation for candidates, as he pointed out that the tests were prepared, supervised and analysed by independent human resource experts and qualified psychologists.

Archie was careful to note that the only time a major issue was raised with the process was last year with the short-lived judicial appointment of former chief magistrate Marcia Ayers-Caesar. But he simply cited the incident without mentioning Ayers-Caesar by name or commenting on a pending lawsuit, in which he (Archie) and the JLSC are being sued for allegedly pressuring her to resign.

While Archie disagreed with major segments of the committee’s report, he said he supported its call to make the JLSC focus mainly on judicial officers as opposed to its current remit, which includes thousands of lawyers working in State enterprises and government ministries.

Archie also took issue with suggestions over the independence of other members of the JLSC, which he noted were not made in the report.

“They were specifically chosen, I am sure, for their maturity and their independence. I know that they would never allow themselves to be bullied by a Chief Justice, not that I would ever attempt to do so,” Archie said.

Responding to Archie’s speech after the ceremony, LATT president Douglas Mendes, SC, thanked Archie for opening a public debate on the issue.

“I am actually quite delighted that the CJ spoke on the report and that he has drawn the public’s attention to the recommendations of the report. Of course, no one expects that everything in the report will meet with the agreement of everyone who reads it,” Mendes said.

“Certainly that sort of disagreement is a healthy disagreement and it provides the basis for debate.”

Stating that Parliament is currently considering legislation to increase the complement of judges by 15, Mendes said the association wrote to Attorney General Faris Al-Rawi suggesting that reform of the recruitment process should proceed the filling of the vacancies.

“I think it is crucial at this time that we engage in this process before we start a new round of appointment of judges because you are talking about 15 new judges and that is going to impact upon the direction and the face of the Judiciary for generations,” Mendes said.

After taking a year off from Parliament to recover from a debilitating stroke, La Horquetta/Talparo MP Maxie Cuffie yesterday returned to the House of Representatives for its 42nd Sitting, where he was warmly welcomed back by Government and Opposition MPs.

But while Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar welcomed Cuffie back into the Lower House, Cuffie admitted to being surprised at this, noting the Opposition had nothing good to say about him when he fell ill last September.

The Opposition had repeatedly called on Cuffie, who they claimed was an absent MP, to resign during his absence.

“I was happy to hear the Opposition Leader welcome me back. But I was a bit surprised because I heard the comments when I was away (seeking medical attention) questioning the cost of my medical expenses and me being away from the country and all of that,” Cuffie told the T&T Guardian during the sitting’s tea break.

Nevertheless, Cuffie said he was gratified to hear Persad-Bissessar’s remarks. Asked if he felt Persad-Bissessar’s comments were genuine, Cuffie said he was still happy.

“I am happy nonetheless because it is the right thing to do…for her to say that. I think she has done the right thing.”

Cuffie was hospitalised last September for treatment, which prevented him from fulfilling his duties as Minister of Public Administration and Communications. He later sought medical attention at a hospital in Washington DC.

In February, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley said Government had spent $2.5 million on Cuffie’s medical bills.

When the sitting adjourned for the tea break yesterday, a smiling and upbeat Cuffie, who shook hands with Government MPs, said he felt great to be back in Parliament.

“It felt like coming home,” he said.

Last month, Rowley removed Cuffie as Minister in the Ministry of Public Administration and appointed him as Permanent Secretary in the same ministry.

Now faced with different duties, Cuffie said he has been working closely with Public Administration Minister Marlene Mc Donald.

“I have never found the work strenuous. It has not been an issue that affected my health. I feel good now and I felt good before.”

Physically, Cuffie said he felt strong, although he walked in and outside of the Chamber a bit slower. His speech was also not 100 per cent.

Cuffie added, “Thank God. I have been blessed. I intend to make good use of that blessing. You take it one day at a time and everything comes back and you trust in God. The important thing is just to continue working at it. I am doing that.”

Since returning home in July, Cuffie said he has been visiting his constituency weekly.

In his first address to his constituents at a thanks-giving service last month, Cuffie admitted to crying when he addressed them.

“You need to understand something, when you have a stroke it makes you more emotional because the part of the brain that controls your emotions is hard to control. So you cry more easily and that kind of thing.”

The big picture: a total of 4,700 permanent and non-permanent Petrotrin workers will be affected by the refinery’s closure looming ahead.

Energy Minister Franklin yesterday told Parliament that 3,500 permanent workers plus 1,200 non-permanent workers will be affected by the Government’s planned closure of the refinery in two weeks.

Khan gave the overall total in response to questions by UNC MP Rudy Indarsingh. Khan’s figures are the latest total tally of workers to be affected by the plan.

In an August 28 statement on the closure, Petrotrin stated, “Approximately 2,600 permanent jobs will be affected—the redesigned Exploration and Production business will have approximately 800 workers and all 1,700 jobs in refining will be terminated.”

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, in a September 2 address to the nation, had said, “In Refining and Marketing, approximately 1,700 permanent workers will be affected. In Exploration and Production, employment levels are to be reduced from 1,700 workers to approximately 800 persons.”

Company chairman Wilfred Espinet recently reportedly indicated a total of 3,500 permanent workers would be affected.

Yesterday, however, Khan appeared to give a more complete picture after Indarsingh sought an update on the calculation of the termination benefit packages for all categories of Petrotrin refinery workers and the number of employees to be affected.

Khan replied, “As to the number of employees that will be impacted: the total number of permanent employees impacted from the Petrotrin restructuring and remodelling is approximately 3,500 permanent workers and approximately 1,200 non-permanent workers.”

On benefits, Khan said, “The termination packages and benefits therein are currently being negotiated by the company and OWTU. ... I wouldn’t want to prejudge what package they’ll come up with. They have a base and collective agreement and they’ll probably be working on enhancement.”

Indarsingh asked if severance payments would be made for 5,322 workers, which he said was the number of workers in the company given in the Lashley report on Petrotrin. Khan said that report didn’t speak to such activities or severance payments.

UNC’s Roodal Moonilal asked about earlier statements by the PM and Government members which he said put the package around $ 2-3 billion.

Khan said that he’d said the package would be upward of $1 billion.

“If you do basic calculation on the collective agreement, this is obviously more than $1 billion. But the state, board and Government is willing to sit with the union and go through all the numbers and possibly offer some enhancement to that package.”

PM Rowley twice attempted to comment on the matter but was halted by the procedural rules.

Khan was also quizzed on how recent changes to bid rounds issues might affect Petrotrin’s projected Exploration and Production thrust, which is expected to be the restructured company’s money spinner.

After Khan gave the latest figure concerning workers to be affected, Indarsingh told reporters, “A question of trust and credibility has emerged here. When the Prime Minister addressed the nation, the figure given was 1,700 workers, the Energy Minister gave the same initially. Then Petrotrin’s chairman said it was 3,500.“They need to get their act together. They’re supposed to implement their plan by October 1 but I can’t see all the issues being hammered out. The figures seem to be conflicting.”

Indarsingh said Khan’s become known as a bearer of “fake news” on the issue, since Khan had denied it when word of the refinery ‘s closure first circulated. He called for more information on how many people would be rehired and the criteria for this. Petrotrin’s board speaks at the Hyatt this morning to clarify issues.

Social plan for retrenched workers - Crichlow-Cockburn

With the impending closure of the Petrotirn refinery, Government is moving to activate a national social mitigation plan which targets retrenched/terminated workers.

Social Development Minister Cherrie Ann Crichlow-Cockburn detailed the plan yesterday, saying it was approved by Cabinet in August 2017 and is meant to cushion potential psychological, social and economic effects associated with the economic downturn.

“It targets citizens in vulnerable social-economic positions such as retrenched/terminated workers, unemployed/ low-income citizens at-risk youth, people with disabilities, poor/single household families/individuals and other marginalised groups,” she said.

Its main purpose is to equip people with resources and tools to cope with short-term consequences.

Phase One involves short-term measures:

• Temporary “programming” measures for retrenched workers - food support, public assistance, general assistance grant.

• Extension of the electricity subsidy to include vulnerable retrenched workers.

• Public education Central Bank campaign on financial security.

• Health/Wellness centres.

• Financial/technical support to NGOs providing food and other services to the vulnerable - soup kitchens, temporary shelters.

• Walk-in one-stop facility for people seeking government services.

• Toll-free call centre to disseminate information to those seeking government help.

• Standardised means test to identify the vulnerable sector.

• Phase 2-3 expands provision of training/entrepreneurial opportunities.

Two double murders within hours of each other have kept police busy over the past 24 hours.

In the latest incident, two men were gunned down at Building Two in Maloney just before 9 last night. Details were sketchy up to press time, but the T&T Guardian was told the men died at the Arima District Hospital after being taken there for treatment. Police were only able to identify one of the men through his alias, Zizi.

In the other incident, robbery is believed to have been the motive in yesterday’s brutal double murder of elderly siblings Victor Hutchinson, 78, and his sister Claudette Cassell, 81.

The siblings were found murdered in the upper floor of their concrete split-level home, which they shared, at Mc Donald Trace, Chinapoo Village, Morvant.

According to a police report, residents in the area heard voices resembling Hutchinson’s and his sister speaking loudly as though they were in an argument yesterday morning. Just after midday, several gunshots were heard coming from the house.

Upon checking, residents later found the bloodied bodies of the elderly people.

Police said Cassell was found slumped at the side of her bed, while her brother was found on the floor in the living room. Police said both were shot several times about their bodies.

A resident, who wished not to be identified, told the T&T Guardian that several weeks ago there was a small fire at their home but there was minimal damage. Hutchinson was assisted by several young people in the area in the cleanup operations subsequent to the fire and police believe one of them may have been involved in the double murder.

Up to press time, a team of police officers from the Homicide Division and the North Eastern Inter-Agency Task Force, along with Snr Supt Sagramsingh and Insp Beard, were processing the scene and questioning residents.

The two double killings were the 17th and 18th recorded for the year.

In a separate incident at about 1 pm, a foreign national was gunned down in the Grand Diamond Hotel carpark at Golden Grove Road, Piarco. He was identified as Saisnarine Deopersad, 66, a Guyanese national who has citizenship in the United States.

Investigators have ruled out robbery as the motive since he still had on several pieces of gold jewellery on both hands. Police, however, believe his murder was a hit and may have been linked to a woman he was familiar with.

Investigators said Deopersad had a court matter to attend at the Port-of-Spain Assizes today. He arrived in T&T yesterday morning and had checked into the hotel for the duration of his stay.

In a third incident shortly before 6 pm, Jason Richards was gunned down while at Lyons Drive, Orange Field Road, Carapichaima.

Up to press time, details were still sketchy, but police said preliminary investigations revealed Richards’ murder may have been linked to his brother Kendell Richards, who was found shot to death on May 12. Kendell, 43, was found stuffed in the trunk of a car which was found abandoned off Pashley Street, Laventille.

The murder toll up to last evening stood at 387 as compared to 348 last year.

radhica.sookraj@guardian.co.tt

Lingering floodwaters have settled in parts of the Oropouche Basin and the Penal/Debe Regional Corporation has already started spraying to prevent an outbreak of any possible disease.

Chairman of the Corporation Dr Allen Sammy said there were pockets of water in the Basin which were yet to drain out.

“The floods were not as bad as they were last year but we are continuing our routine spraying to ensure that there is no spread of diseases,” Sammy said.

He explained that teams will be spraying along the M2 Ring Road and along the SS Erin Road, near Parvati Hindu College and Debe Hindu School.

“We will be spraying along Suchit Trace and Woodland on Friday and next week we will spray the Barrackpore areas,” Sammy said.

Because of the tidal flows and the drainage in the basin, it is customary for parts of the Oropouche Basin to experience flooding days after the rains subside.

Videsh Laldeo, who has been living on the M2 Ring Road for over 35 years, said behind his house was still flooded.

Laldeo said the construction of a private road near his home had cut off the water flow, leaving a lake of water behind his house.

“This is a health hazard. I am hoping the Ministry of Works or the Drainage Division could do something about this. I never had flooding like this before,” Laldeo said.

At Mussarap Trace in Barrackpore, there was flooding on the road up to midday. Roadside drains were filled to capacity. Some farmers along the M2 Ring Road also experienced crop loss. One farmer Sean Jeffrey said a field of his ochroes were inundated with water.

Calling on the Estate Management Business Development Corporation to clear the water courses, Jeffrey said, “This is the fourth crop that I lost for this year and there has been no compensation. Pumpkin, squash, and cucumber fields were also destroyed. The grass is about four feet and the tunnel is very small to accommodate the flow of water. The drains need to be cleaned,” Jeffrey said.

Last November, following floods there was an increase in the number of rat-borne disease leptospirosis cases in Woodland, Penal and Barrackpore.

At the time, Acting Chief Public Health Inspector Neil Rampersad flood waters might contain harmful bacteria that could lead to an outbreak of diseases such as Hepatitis A and leptospirosis. He called on the public to avoid eating foods contaminated by floods.

Government’s proposed law to allow judges from Commonwealth territories is grossly unfair to local attorneys who aspire to be judges and it’s also an insult to judges who can handle specialist cases as well as any Commonwealth judge, Independent senator Sophia Chote has said.

Chote expressed the view at yesterday’s Senate session in debate on the Miscellaneous Provisions Bill designed to increase judges from 49 to 64. It allows judges from the Commonwealth to practice in T&T. Chote said while she may be speaking to “deaf ears”, she had to defend T&T’s Bar on the issue.

Saying Government wasn’t just opening the door to Commonwealth judges, it was “blowing the door open,” she felt the provision would create inequality for local practitioners.

“We’re creating an unequal system which will foster inequity between our own people— our attorneys— and their capacity to be ambitious to want to be a judge— we’re treating them less generously than people of other Commonwealth countries,”

She noted that Caribbean jurisprudence had evolved with its own identity and independence particularly for independent states like T&T.

The Council of Legal Education facilitated this. Yet 56 years after T&T’s independence, the proposed law would say who will adjudicate, she said.

Chote noted a remark by Government Senator Garvin Simonnette who’d cited Ghana and Nigeria as potential sources of Commonwealth judges for T&T. “If that’s being contemplated as a potential source for Commonwealth judges, we need to look at their jurisprudence systems to see whether they are in line with T&T’s and they’re not,” she added.

“This (legislation) is a bad idea since we have our own jurisprudence and unique judicial and legal ties — enough to create a Caribbean Court of Justice — but we’re taking a step backward in bringing people who aren’t qualified in the way they should be, to be judges here.”

She said the systems of Ghana and Nigeria were more in line with India and Pakistan’s whose jurisprudence system were also not a good fit for T&T.

She noted Ghana, Nigeria, India, Pakistan and Guyana also don’t utilise the Privy Council and their systems have developed without that factor, though Caribbean systems use the Privy Council.

“So there’s a disparity between the jurisprudence knowledge of people who’ve practiced in those countries as opposed to T&T and other regional states.”

Chote said only three universities provide law degrees like UWI’s — including on constitutional law — but other institutions don’t give students the grounding they need to be certified to practice in T&T and to be a judge here.

Noting Nigeria and Ghana set up special courts to deal with financial cases and sexual offences Chote felt the purpose of the proposed T&T law was to set up courts to deal with such issues also.

Attorney General Faris Al- Rawi said that wasn’t contemplated by Government.

Chote debunked the view that she was rejecting the situation because of judges from Nigeria and Ghana.

“The same problems applies for Canada,” she noted.

Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union president general Ancel Roget is again is alleging that buyers have already been found for “different parts of Petrotrin, including the refinery.” He is also taking the Government and Petrotrin board to task for the inconsistency in the number of workers to be sent home.

Responding to a news conference called by Petrotrin chairman Wilfred Espinet yesterday, Roget accused the board of continuously “putting out misinformation” in the public domain.

He said a case in point was the constant changing in the numbers of employees going home.

“They are not open and honest with the country, while they are peddling their misinformation people are starved for the facts, for the correct information.”

Roget said the union had been consistent in saying that it is not only 1,700 workers that are being sent home.

“He is not telling the country is all the workers - 3,500 permanent workers, 2,000 casual and 3,500 service provider workers contractor employees - all of whom are attached to Petrotrin. It is 9,000, we have been consistent.”

Roget said it was hard to “trust them with the correct information with regard to the workers, so then how can we trust these people with the shutting down of the country’s only refinery, with the country’s asset, how can we trust them? They are not honest.”

Roget said the union has information that “they already have buyers to buy different parts of Petrotrin, including the refinery. That is most dishonest. How could they be allowed to get away with that?”

He said there is the need for “an open, free, frank and open discussion, a national consultation because the Government cannot take a decision to close down the country’s only refinery and sell it to somebody, chop up the Exploration and Production and sell it to other people.”

Roget said this runs contrary to a Memorandum of Understanding signed in April this year for continued dialogue.

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley is in Guyana this morning where energy matters are among items on his agenda. But before flying out yesterday, he made a commitment to Oilfields Workers Trade Union (OWTU) president general Ancel Roget that the door on the purchase of the Petrotrin refinery may still be open if the union will accept full responsibility and is willing to “present and commit to the rigours of an acceptable business proposal.”

Rowley, however, made it clear that if a “more attractive offer comes up,” that is in the interest of taxpayers it will have to take priority.

Rowley and Roget yesterday exchanged letters on the planned closure of the refinery, with Roget asking Government to consider the union’s proposal delivered on September 10, as he expressed concerns about the fallout for workers, their families and the wider social impact on communities in south Trinidad when the refinery is shut down.

The PM reiterated that it was based on “requisite analysis and diagnoses” that Government had taken the “very difficult decision to close the refinery.” Under the restructuring programme, he said the refinery will be separated from the company’s business and would then “stand alone as an asset for which a future of some sort would have to be designed.” Rowley said this was what he meant when he spoke of “opportunity attention” in his address to the nation on September 2.

The PM said, “Once the refinery is so cauterised, it would be available for attention in order to ensure that the taxpayers who are the owners, get whatever value which can be derived from its use or disposal.”

The OWTU last week delivered copies of an alternative plan titled “Saving Petrotrin,” to Rowley, the Petrotrin board, the Opposition and President Paula-Mae Weekes.

Roget has indicated that the union is in discussions with several persons who are interested in partnering with them to take over the refinery.

The PM told Roget “if the OWTU is able and willing to present and commit to the rigours of an acceptable business proposal, then the Government will treat with it with the dignity and respect it deserves” and would be prepared to give the workers “some facilitation” so long as that is within “reasonable business transactional arrangements.”

But he was clear that if “much more attractive proposals become available then it must be expected that the interest of the taxpayer will take priority.”

Rowley said he had noted the union’s proposal was sent to the Petrotrin board, which has already indicated that “if a superior proposal is presented to change the current decision, it will not hesitate to treat with it and advise the Cabinet accordingly. I have not been advised that such a situation now exists.”

The board and the union are due to meet today to discuss the OWTU’s alternative plan. But yesterday at a media conference, Petrotrin chairman Wilfred Espinet described the plan as “confusing, it attempts to go in a direction opposite to what we intend to do.” Despite this, Espinet said he remained open to the talks.

Rowley reminded Roget that closure of the refinery was first told to him when they met on August 21, a position which he said was arrived at after lengthy, detailed, expert analysis.

He noted Government was aware that in the short term “there will be hardships and concerns” of people to deal with, “but we have every confidence that in the medium to long term the outcome will be to the benefit of the wider national community.”

Rowley said he wanted to make it abundantly clear that neither the Government, Petrotrin board, nor any person or agent acting on behalf of the taxpayer, “has made any arrangement whatsoever at this time to dispose of the refinery assets of Petrotrin.”

He said he had taken note “of our common position of the need for a restructured Petrotrin, with a new mandate which will not require a government guarantee to conduct its business and will not threaten the country’s credit rating.”

The board, the PM said, had done exactly that.

Contacted for comment last evening, Roget said he had not yet seen the PM’s response as he was at a meeting in Barataria.

But in his letter to the PM, a copy of which was obtained by the T&T Guardian, Roget said the OWTU’s alternative plan aimed at keeping the refinery open and placing Petrotrin on the road to “viability and success” and had sought to address all areas of concerns raised by the Government, including adequate crude supply, oil production, productivity, the debt, inefficiencies, asset integrity and many other areas.

Roget assured that with a totally restructured Petrotrin “our proposal will not require any government guarantee or funding and would certainly positively impact the country’s credit rating.”

Roget said given the dire consequences for Petrotrin workers, citizens and the country as a whole, the union stands ready to begin “deep and meaningful engagement” around its proposal, including the examination of all other options, to arrive at an amicable solution in the interest of the country.

Petrotrin chairman Wilfred Espinet yesterday admitted he instructed the board of directors to take a 50 per cent cut on their monthly $5,000 salary, noting they have been providing yeoman service to the company for little or no payments.

He made the disclosure as he delivered a presentation titled “Re-investing” Petrotrin following a luncheon hosted by the Port-of-Spain Rotary Club which was attended by business owners and Rotarians at Goodwill Industries, Port-of-Spain.

Espinet dispelled reports that surfaced in social media in the last few days that his pay packet as chairman was $200,000 monthly, while its directors collected hefty salaries.

Speaking about the board, the majority of whom he described as volunteers, Espinet said, “For your information, the Government pays the chairman $10,000 a month, which of course I am. I made every director give up 50 per cent of his $5,000-a-month salary to be in that. And he is working every day. Most of them are retirees and it is costing them money to do it. But they are doing it because they have come to this as a national service. And they are doing it for T&T.”

As he put forward a case as to how Petrotrin reached this chaotic situation, Espinet made it clear he has no “political ambitions,” nor does he have “any interest or agenda” in the shutting down the company, which would result in 3,400 workers being sent home.

He reiterated that the refinery and marketing aspects of Petrotrin had not been a profitable business, while the cost of manpower has been “exceptional in relation to other costs.” Although the company had injected billions of dollars in “science projects,” Espinet said these brought no returns.

Espinet drew reference to the manpower strength at the refinery, saying it took three to four workers to do the job of one employee.

To keep Petrotrin operational, Espinet said $25 billion would be needed as the company was not generating any cash flow. This meant that every citizen in T&T would have to make a contribution of $80,000 over a five-year period to cover the $25 billion required.

“It’s not doable, not fundable and impractical,” he said.

Saying the issue with Petrotrin has been a big challenge “as you are talking about a lot of people and a lot of lives,” Espinet said if they don’t follow through with the tough decisions given by experts Petrotrin will soon collapse.

Some portions of Petrotrin’s refinery will be sold and other parts will be absorbed into the new structure.

Petrotrin chairman Wilfred Espinet yesterday confirmed that once the refinery is completely shut down at the end of the year, some of the structure could be dismantled and offered for sale.

“Some of the existing structure will be absorbed and used by the ongoing operations and some will be sold to companies that require those assets,” Espinet said in a short interview with the T&T Guardian after a media conference at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain, yesterday.

Espinet and three members of the executive—Nigel Edwards, Lisa Ali and Reynold Ajodhasingh —held the conference to clarify much of the information in the public domain.

Espinet fielded questions from the media for almost an hour but rehashed most of what has already been disseminated since it was announced that the refinery would be shut down. He grew agitated when the media seemed to focus on the total number of people who will lose their jobs.

“This is the last time I’ll answer a numbers question,” Espinet said.

He was referring to the changing figures of people affected by the shutdown of the refinery. Since the shutdown was announced, Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union boss Ancel Roget has maintained that all 3,400 workers would be sent home, but that figure changed in the reporting as various people commented on the closure of the refinery. On Monday, Energy Minister Franklin Khan said the figure was close to 4,600.

Yesterday, however, Espinet said Government would get its information from the board, so Khan’s figure was accurate.

“I want to say to all of the media this is the last question I’ll be answering about the number of employees. The number thing has been playing (in the media)...at the union meeting we made it abundantly clear that the intention was always to send everyone home,” Espinet said.

He admitted there was limited information coming out of Petrotrin, contrasted by the deluge of information in the public domain.

“We have to be mindful of the sensitivities of certain things and how that might work with our various stakeholders,” he said.

One of the more alarming revelations Espinet made was that the number of casual and temporary workers could change with every shift.

He said it was nearly impossible to give an accurate number of casual workers until the salaries were being prepared, adding there was a pool of casual workers who could be added to a work shift without any notification to management. He said it was allowed to happen because of strong worker representation and by successive complicit governments.

“If you ask me today how many employees we have in Petrotrin I couldn’t tell you, because that is a number that keeps moving in the temporary workforce on a daily basis,” he said.

“What is it that I am not saying that I should be saying?”

However, Espinet also said he did not have the “authority or the ambition” to correct information coming from the Government.

“Would you feel comfortable if I take full responsibility, which I do. The number which has been stated wrongly by anyone I take full responsibility for that,” he said.

At the end of August 2018, Petrotrin’s full-time staff stood at 3,400 and there were 1,417 casual workers on the roster.

Industrial Court President Deborah Thomas-Felix is denying allegations that she and her colleagues are biased against employers.

Delivering her annual address at a special sitting of the court for the opening of the 2018/2019 Law Term yesterday, Thomas-Felix provided statistics which she said disproved allegations over the court’s independence.

“It is my sincere hope that the facts would serve to dispel the misconceptions and unfounded statements that tend to be repeated and amplified in this regard,” Thomas-Felix said.

She pointed out that of the 2,744 cases filed before the court from 2011 to 2015, 27 per cent or 747 matters resulted in judgements from the adversarial process between employers and trade unions. Of those 747 matters, 30 per cent were decided in favour of employers.

In terms of non-adversarial matters during that period, Thomas-Felix noted that 15.6 per cent (427 cases) were disposed of via conciliation, 19.6 per cent (539 cases) were resolved bilaterally and 24.9 per cent (683 cases) were withdrawn.

As she examined the rate of withdrawal of matters, she noted there was an increase from 24.9 per cent between 2011 and 2015 to 35.4 per cent last year. She also noted that the court dismissed 23 cases last year due to the failure of unions to prosecute them.

“In short, those outcomes were in the employers’ favour. These are not outcomes that are widely repeated, although they reflect the reality of the work of the court,” Thomas-Felix said.

In a veiled jab at critics of the court, Thomas-Felix stated: “Similarly, it must be acknowledged that the companies that value their human resources, respect the country’s labour laws and policies and maintain the practice of good industrial relations, are unlikely to be involved in matters which are not settled in a manner agreeable to all parties.”

Thomas-Felix repeatedly pledged that the court would continue to carry out its duties in a fair and balanced manner.

“We will never violate the rights of any one of the social partners and we are committed to fulfilling the mission of the court to uphold the principles and practices of good industrial relations as pillars of industrial peace, economic and social development,” she said.

In her speech, Thomas-Felix also called upon businesses, trade unions and the Government to engage in tripartite discussions on improving occupational safety and health, disaster risk reduction, labour migration policies and policies on workplace harassment.

“These challenges, in my view, can only be properly addressed when the social partners come together and work together,” she said, as she suggested dialogue could be facilitated through the National Tripartite Advisory Council (NTAC).

“I urge you, the stakeholders, to seize this opportunity and to build on the current momentum such that we create workplaces and workspaces in all spheres that are safe for everyone,” she said.

In a brief interview with the T&T Guardian after Thomas-Felix’s speech, Communication Workers Union (CWU) head Clyde Elder said he supported her attempt to defend the integrity of the court.

“I think that if it was anyone should be saying that the court is biased should be the unions, but we are not saying that. We understand that at the end of the day we would not win all matters and while we come to court and get judgements that we are not happy with, we stay away from saying that the court is on the side of the employer or the union.

“The court has a role to play and that is to remain neutral, independent and unbiased and to ensure that they maintain law and order in the society in terms of industrial relations,” Elder said.

The narrative about the number of employees to be sent home at state-owned Petrotrin since the announcement of the closure of the refinery on August 28 has been inconsistent.

Yesterday when he addressed the media and was grilled on the different numbers being bandied about by all the key players Petrotrin chairman Wilfred Espinet grudgingly took full responsibility.

“Will you feel comfortable if I take full responsibility? I do, if the number has been stated and anybody here say the wrong number I take responsibility, but the numbers we are giving are the numbers we know,” Espinet said.

He made it clear, however, that he could not answer for numbers given by either the Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union or the Prime Minister, although he admitted it is the company that provides the state with the numbers.

He said the fact of the matter is that from day one, Petrotrin has said all 3,400 permanent workers will be sent home..

When he met with the OWTU and other stakeholder unions on August 28, Espinet presented three options, but it was the third option, which spoke to the exit of all staff, that he made it clear the board had agreed upon and which had been approved by Government. Under that plan, all 3,400 workers were to be sent home.

Espinet reiterated this position when he spoke to the media at a news conference yesterday.

He said, “On the day we presented to the unions it was identified that everyone will go home and the company will rehire the people that will fit the skills and the conditions for the work to be done under the new E&Por terminalling operation.”

Today, the T&T Guardian takes look back at how the number count has unfolded since the announcement of the shutdown of the refinery:

August 28: Espinet tells the OWTU at a meeting at Petrotrin that a decision had been made to exit the refinery business and all 3,400 workers will be sent home, 1,700 workers from upstream that is Exploration and Production and 1,700 workers from refinery and marketing. On the upstream side, he said 45 per cent of workers or just about 800 workers would be rehired. A mere 10 per cent of the workers (about 200) from Refinery and Marketing would be rehired.

A Petrotrin release which followed that meeting said the company was exiting the refinery business and approximately 2,600 permanent jobs will be affected. The release spoke to a “redesigned Exploration and Production business” which will have “approximately 800 workers and all 1,700 jobs in refining will be terminated.”

Following the meeting with the Petrotrin board OWTU president general Ancel Roget told the media “they propose to send everybody home and hire back 800 persons for exploration and production and 200 persons for the proposed terminalling operation in Pointe-a-Pierre.” Roget described the proposal as “madness, we disagree with that and we reject that outright.”

“But comrades the long and short of the story is that Dr Rowley plans to send home 2,500 workers from Petrotrin, get that in your heads,” Roget said. At that point, Roget himself said he understood that all the company’s permanent workers were being sent home and with 1,000 to be rehired, the number of people to be left on the breadline would be 2,500.

August 29: Espinet, in an interview with the T&T Guardian, confirmed that exit packages for the more than 3,000 employees at Petrotrin are being worked out. He could not say how much those packages would cost, what exactly would be offered or how soon payments would be made. He did indicate that the company would have to borrow money to make the payments.

August 30: Energy Minister Franklin Khan, in an interview on the CNCs Morning Brew, said they were aware that 2-3,000 workers would be “directly affected,” as he assured that they will get “very attractive packages.”

September 2: Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley addressed the nation on Petrotrin. The PM told the country “In refining and marketing, approximately 1,700 permanent workers will be affected. In exploration and production, employment levels are to be reduced from 1,700 workers to approximately 800 persons.” By that calculation, 2,600 workers were to be sent home.

September 16: Espinet again confirms that all 3,400 workers will be sent home.

The OWTU says the real number of workers to be sent home is 9,000. The union broke it down as 3,500 permanent workers, 2,000 casual and temporary workers and about 3,500 workers who are employed by various contractors.

The United National Congress says the real number of workers to be sent home when Petrotrin is closed down is 5,322. The UNC’s breakdown of the figure is 3,841 permanent and 1,481 temporary workers, which include upstream (Trinmar, refining and Marketing administration. The UNC-based its figure on the report done by a committee headed by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy Selwyn Lashley, which stated Petrotrin employs 5,322 workers - 3,841 permanent and 1,481 temporary.

September 17: Energy Minister Franklin Khan announces in Parliament that the real number of Petrotrin workers to be sent home is 4,700. The breakdown given by Khan was 3,500 permanent employees and 1,200 non-permanent.

September 18: Petrotrin board member Reynold Adjodhasingh tells the media that when Petrotrin is closed down 4,817 workers will be sent home. Adjodhasingh said Petrotrin has 3,400 permanent employees and 1,417 casual and temporary workers. This number represented the number of employees provided in the monthly report from the company and was the number as at August 31, he said.