Whether there are separation packages worth $1 million or more, Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) president general Ancel Roget is urging workers not to examine any offers from Petrotrin.
His plea echoed the advice given by Public Services Association president Watson Duke, who told workers gathered at the Rienzi Complex, Couva last evening that they should not accept any offer from the company to part from their jobs.
“They are with the belief that you don’t know money so they throw a little million or two million before you. They sit down in a room and they contemplate that ‘if we give them that, we will break the struggle. And the only way to break that struggle is to invite them to see what packages they have,’” Roget said at the end of the first day of the union’s three-day protest march.
“And you begin to examine those packages of death, you are constructors of your own demise comrades. Therefore, before I start here this evening, I want the strength of conviction and resistance that we are not examining any packages. We are examining only our job security.”
Roget said he already knew that there were a few workers who were going through their People’s National Movement channels to work out deals.
Before Roget spoke, Duke told workers that if they are to surrender to Petrotrin’s retrenchment, everyone should leave with no less than $5 million in separation payment. His comments received a hearty response from hundreds of workers and trade unionists gathered after they walked 22 kilometres from the Pointe-a-Pierre Roundabout in scorching weather to arrive in Couva through heavy rains.
Defiant against Petrotrin’s plans to retrench the entire workforce in its restructuring exercise, the workers rallied through the day to listen to the various trade union leaders at Rienzi last evening.
Duke advised workers that they should stick together for the welfare of all their colleagues. In doing so, he said no worker should be talking to or making any deals with their Members of Parliament, but instead take their concerns to Roget.
“They will tell you about how much money you’re going to get and how they’re going to pay you off. Folks, when they look at their money, it is blasted small money. Trust me, that is small money. All of you should get $5 million minimum,” Duke said.
As he looked upon the tired faces who are expected to begin marching from Couva to Aranguez for day two of the three-day march today, Duke told them it was a battle of survival.
The march is expected to end with a mass rally in Port-of-Spain tomorrow.