Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) president general Ancel Roget says trade unions will fight to the bitter end if negotiations reach the Industrial Court. They will also be prepared to wage war if the government enlists the support of judges they would have selected. He also dismissed alleged claims by Labour Minister Errol Mc Leod, a former trade unionist, that the trade unions and the Government were making progress.
Interviewed yesterday, Roget said: "If the matter is not resolved, it might head to the Industrial Court. We (OWTU) feel the strategy is to install judges who are sympathetic to the People's Partnership. They have not renewed the contract of the Vice President (Gregory Baker) of the Court. It could be they are preparing to install their own judges. They have not found a successor for the President (Cecil Bernard) who is due to retire this month." Roget added: "If it has to go to Court, we will fight to the bitter end." Zeroing in on Mc Leod's comments, Roget said they were not making substantial progress since negotiations remain at five per cent.
Roget added: "We have not made any progress because of instruction from the Minister of Finance (Winston Dookeran) and the Government. When they say go back to the bargaining table, it is just a farce. We have never left the bargaining table. The PM's statement is just PR. Absolutely not. There is no justification. We are not making progress." Commenting on the state of emergency, Roget said: "This emergency they are imposing will backfire on them. When it comes to the five per cent they are adamant. They won't budge from five per cent. No SOE will be able to remove the level of resentment workers' will have in their hearts."
Roget cited the example of an employee earning $3,000. Quick Mathematics, he said, meant the person would only get $150 over a three year period. He said: " Five per cent would represent $150 over three years. Sixty dollars in the first year. Thirty dollars in the second year and $60 in the third. That's not good enough... especially with the cost of living." Slipping into caustic jargon, Roget said: "No state of emergency could or would prevent us from doing our mobilisation work. We'll fight them to the bitter end."
Roget: Thanks for uniting trade unions
Prior to unionists pit stop at Parliament on Friday, Roget and his comrades engaged in a three-day period of fasting and prayer for T&T and workers at TIWU Headquarters, Eastern Main Road, Laventille. Among them were SWWTU President Michael Anissette, TTUTA's Roustan Job, BIGWU's Vincent Cabrera and CWU's Joseph Remy. As T&T celebrated its 49th anniversary of Independence/Eid-Ul-Fitr, they sang songs like In The Sweet By and By. They circled, singing and chanting. A woman rang a bell for justice. Breaking away from gospel singing, a Muslim brother reached for a mat. He knelt and prayed in the direction of Mecca.
Roget said: "We thank the People's Partnership for uniting the trade union movement. After three days of fasting, we resolved to do what was necessary for all workers." Before exiting Parliament, Roget made it abundantly clear that trade unions' struggles were specifically targeted in the state of emergency. He said: "They used the hysteria of the public wanting safety and security of life and limb. They used that (method) when they could have gone another route."
