While the management of Petrotrin and T&T’s employers believe that the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union’s (OWTU) threat of a strike is not in the best interest of the country at this time, it has received support from the World Federation of Trade Unions.
In a statement on Tuesday, the WFTU expressed its support of the planned strike by the OWTU in light of failed wage negotiations between the company and the Union.
Petrotrin has reportedly made an offer of 0-0-0 to the Union for the period 2014-2017/18. Negotiations for the previous period, 2011-2014 is currently before the Industrial Court.
The WFTU noted that after an 18-hour meeting, Petrotrin showed no spirit of compromise, denying the workers any wage adjustment.
It’s calling on citizens to disregard the calls by employers for the workers to abandon the plan of a strike and instead stand in solidarity with the affected workers.
“The Petrotrin workers risk life and limb, working in varying dangerous conditions, to guarantee a reliable supply of fuel to the travelling public; the Trinidad and Tobago people know better than anyone that the country’s economy is based on products made possible by the tireless efforts of these workers.
That’s why we call on the workers and the simple people of the country to stand by the Petrotrin workers, ignoring the employers’ appeals to not struggle.”
The WFTU again affirmed its support of the workers and any form of action they take, stressing that all the wealth belongs to those who produce it.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Independent Trade Unions and Non-Governmental Organisations (FITUN) also expressed its solidarity with the Petrotrin workers affected by outstanding wage negotiations.
It condemned what it labelled “misinformation and inconsistent statements” coming from government about the offer made by Petrotrin to the Union.
It noted conflicting statements from Minister in the Office of the Prime Minister Stuart Young and Finance Minister Colm Imbert on the issue of the company’s authority in making on wage negotiations.
FITUN believes that there’s an impending wage freeze in light of the current circumstances, and says that any union would take necessary and legitimate action to protect the interests of its members and by extension, all workers in T&T.
It warns that a wage freeze could have debilitating effects on all the country’s workers.