With no money to buy food or books for their children, OAS workers turned on the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union yesterday, accusing senior union officials of using poor people to fulfil a political agenda.
The rancour occurred around 3 pm at the union's Paramount Headquarters where chief labour relations officer, Lyndon Mendoza, informed the workers of the Government's stance to withhold OAS performance bonds.
The union had called for the bonds to be used to pay the workers' outstanding wages, merit increases and severance pay.
Mendoza said two meetings were held with Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus on June 24 and July 1 but the OWTU was told that the bonds could not be released to pay the 1,200 OAS workers.
Calling for the workers to take mass protest action outside the National Infrastructure Development Company (Nidco) on August 18 when the union again meets with Baptiste-Primus, Mendoza said it was public knowledge that OAS had "abandoned ship."
He added: "We got no resolution from the Labour Minister but another meeting is carded for August 18.
"The minister has said that there is a bond that Nidco is holding but it cannot be used to pay outstanding matters.
"That is an opinion we do not agree with. We need mass action to change that opinion," Mendoza said.
He also added that the OWTU was planning major protest action tomorrow in Port-of-Spain and he wanted the OAS workers to join in.
"While this action on Thursday is important, we do not want it to take away from our main objective on August 18, so each of you has to act as a messenger to get people out to support the struggle," Mendoza said.
However, some of the workers became incensed.
"What will be achieve by going to Nidco. Ent Nidco has a boss. Why we don't protest outside Rowley office? Not Nidco," Akeil Matthews shouted.
Asking what the union hoped to achieve, Matthews added: "We stand up with this union since OAS was here and we reach nowhere."
Steffon Cummings, who has been unemployed since January, said he was in danger of losing his home because he could no longer afford mortgage.
Michael Joseph said he took his 14-year-old daughter, Sheniqua, out of public school and enrolled her at ACE Academy private school to get quality education but he could no longer afford the fees since he lost his job.
"I looking for a job. I dropped in ten resumes yesterday. I want work but it's nothing I could get.
"Where is the union? They just using people," Joseph shouted, before walking out.
He later said that he had lost faith in the union which was using poor people to get political mileage.
Other workers also asked why Roget was not present at yesterday's meeting. Mendoza assured that Roget would be present at the meeting on August 18.
Contacted yesterday, Roget said he understood the workers' frustration but assured the OWTU was doing everything possible to ensure outstanding salaries, merit increases and severance were paid.
"They have to understand that the union continues to do all that is necessary within the confines of the law. That is why we have to change the existing law so we have embarked on an active campaign to change the law and for this we need their support," Roget said.
He added that people must understand all the issues and visibly put themselves in place to fight for their rights.