Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU) president general Ancel Roget faces instant dismissal if he defies the instructions of his substantive employer, Petrotrin, to return to work today.
In an unprecedented move, the State-owned company has refused to grant Roget extended leave to fulfil his role as head of the union, which represents Petrotrin workers.
Instead, it has ordered Roget and key executive members–first vice-president Carlton Gibson and Chief Labour Relations Officer John Boiselle–to return to work today or be fired.
But in a defiant mood yesterday, Roget led a demonstration at the entrance of Petrotrin's Pointe-a-Pierre administration offices, claiming the move was a joint attempt by the Government and Petrotrin to silence and destroy
the OWTU.
However, Roget threw out a challenge to them "to fire me."
"Tell Kamla I am here to stay. I challenge them to fire me now, cause I not going back," said Roget, who tore up the company's letter indicating they had exceeded their leave for union business and the company will not be granting them further extensions.
Roget, who had the backing of workers and union representatives from various Petrotrin branches and state enterprises, instead called for the removal of vice-president Human Resources and Corporate Services Keith Ramnath, Persad-Bissessar and Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine.
Interviewed after his almost two-hour address to workers, Roget said the union had never before encountered a situation where the company had refused to grant leave extensions to the union heads.
He added: "In a most vicious and unprecedented move the company wrote to the union's general secretary advising him that in one month time the positions of president general, first vice-president and chief labour relations officer, all top positions in the union, that these officers must return to their jobs.
"What that means is that the union will be without top leadership and so if I were to abide by the contents of that letter by tomorrow, I will be back on my job in Trinmar and once that occurs the union will be left brotherless and they will have their way.
"We took the position, after careful examination of the contents of that letter, that it is most disrespectful, unprecedented. It is a frontal attack on the union and its leadership and therefore we will not be returning to work.
"No where in the history of this trade union we could have recounted a time when the top officers would have gone back to their jobs."
Saying it was a calculated move by Persad-Bissessar, her Cabinet and Petrotrin's board of management to muzzle the union before the general election, he said no one would force them to return to work.
"Fire us if you so desirous and we will take it from there," he added.
'We reject the letter'
Roget, who took the OWTU mantle of leadership in 2008 after the resignation of Errol Mcleod, who is now the Labour Minister, noted that McLeod served as president general for 21 years.
He added: "To do that he would have had significant numbers of two-year extensions and therefore they (management) are stepping out of the norm.
"The collective agreement provides for us to be on second belt and it says in situations that are not normal these office holders will have extensions... therefore, the president of OWTU is not a normal position, you don't make a president general every day. In 78 years the union has had just about five president generals.
"What we did this morning, we rejected outright that letter from management of Petrotrin. We will not be returning to work. We dare them to fire us for doing the job of the union and representing the workers and pointing out the ills in the country."
Roget said the matter was now in the hands of the union's attorneys. He said he expected a slew of legal letters from Petrotrin but it was a small price to pay to ensure justice.
While speaking with members of a media, a man who identified himself as a court marshall attempted without success to serve a document on Roget.