Marathon talks yesterday to stave-off a potentially crippling strike by Petrotrin workers failed last night.
For all indicators, the strike notice served on State-owned Petrotrin, last Wednesday goes into effect this morning.
The company and the Government have assured that contingency measures have been put in place to guarantee the delivery of fuel but Ancel Roget, president-general of the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union, warning for motorists to fill up their tanks became real.
There were no reports of panic buying of fuel over the last few days.
The threat of strike action which had the potential to disrupt the delivery of fuel across the country weighed in the favour of the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union yesterday as late-night efforts were being made to settle one of two outstanding negotiations at the State-owned oil and gas company.
Up to press time, union officials, led by its president-general Ancel Roget, were meeting with Petrotrin president Fitzroy Harewood, at the Ministry of Labour, in Port-of-Spain to work out the details of the wage settlement, which would have to be funded by the Ministry of Finance.
News of the impending settlement came after a late-evening hearing at the Industrial Court where the OWTU had filed an industrial relations offence regarding the settlement of the 2011-2014 wage negotiations.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, mentioned the threat of the impending strike during the launch of the People’s National Movement campaign for the Tobago House of Assembly in Tobago last night again calling for a reasonable solution.
Last week, he said that Government had to await the outcome of the matter before the Industrial Court before it could treat with the 2014-2017 negotiating period. Finance Minister Colm Imbert, who is also acting Energy Minister, told Parliament on Friday that Petrotrin was not in any position to pay any increase wages if awarded by the Industrial Court of the 2011-2014 period and that burden would have to borne by the Ministry of Finance.
The union demanded a 10 per cent wage increase but the company offered 0/0/0.
Last Wednesday, the union served strike notice on Petrotrin after no movement on wage negotiations for 2014-2017. The company again offered 0/0/0 citing its inability to meet any increased costs in the face of declining revenue and high debt burden. The strike, if effected, can last as long as 90 days.
At yesterday’s court hearing, Industrial Court member Albert Aberdeen advised Petrotrin to proceed to settle the collective bargaining period 2011-2014 with the OWTU and advised the union to call off all strike action should the company agree. No details were forthcoming on the terms of the settlement.
Roget, who emerged from the court at 7.25 pm, however, maintained the strike is on.
He said the union will be willing to take the judge’s advice should the company come forth with a settlement.
At 7.40 pm Roget and his team went back to the Ministry of Labour’s office at Tower C, Waterfront, Port-of-Spain for a response from Petrotrin officials.
They had been locked in talks at the Ministry since 10 am and missed the 4 pm start of the court hearing.
After the conciliation hearing at the court, T&T Guardian understands that Petrotrin’s officials returned to the Labour Ministry’s office to hold further discussions with the Minister Labour regarding the advice given by Aberdeen.
Speaking with members of the media outside the court, Roget expressed disappointment in the failure of Minister of Finance approach in the matter.
He also disclosed that as of yesterday all operations and fuel production have already ceased.
“We thought that we could accept such an advice to bring closure and full settlement of this whole issue but we are also observing the posturing of the Minister of Finance who is refusing an offer that says the Government does not have to put out one cent with respect to the back pay as a result of a wage settlement,” Roget said.
Roget said that it is absolutely disappointing that the Minister of Finance has not made his presence felt and enter into the discussions one and one.
“There are a number of issues that we need to put on the table, the least being the whole question of the plant, equipment and machinery. When you take them down over a period of time they are going to deteriorate and there will be an additional cost to the company as a result,” Roget said.
He disclosed that the refinery was already shut down and there was no more fuel production going on.
In full page advertisements published in yesterday’s newspapers, Petrotrin stated that its revenue had declined by more the 50 per cent from, $37b in 2012 to $16b in 2016. This, coupled with the ongoing decline in refinery margins and declining oil production, resulted in the company realising two years of net after tax losses, $819m for fiscal 2015 and approximately $600m for fiscal 2016 (unaudited).
The company also stated that there were contingency measures in place if the strike went on as planned, including the deployment of management, senior and other non-unionised staff to continue the essential operations. It noted that it was working alongside other national agencies to ensure the security of the plant and personnel and delivery of fuel supplies.
The company, which employs over 5,000, current wage bill stands at $2b.