T&T: Petrotrin protests escalates

SCORES of contractors were prevented from entering Petrotrin’s Pointe-a-Pierre refinery compound yesterday after hundreds of temporary and casual workers blocked the main gate as protests over wages and working conditions continued. Accompanied by members of the Oilfields Workers Trade Union (OWTU), the workers vowed to intensify protest action until the company agrees to meet with union officials to discuss regularisation of their employment status. OWTU Pointe-a-Pierre branch president Hollis Alexander, said company officials refused to discuss workers’ status and instead opted to bring in contractors to perform maintenance work at the refinery.

The issue is one of fair wages that are compatible with what equally skilled workers in the United States earn. In looking at the wage comparison of T&T and the U.S., I can't help thinking that a part of the problem is the $6 TT = $1 USD exchange rate. However, if the exchange rates become more equitable, T&T stands to lose a lot of money from exports to other countries, especially those in the Caribbean whose exchange rate is closer to the USD than T&T's. Apart from this, workers do have legitimate safety and work related issues that need to be addressed.