About 150 contract workers at the National Gas Company (NGC) fear that they will all be sent home at the end of this month, workers told the T&T Guardian.
Included in that group are offshore employees who were offered alternative positions within the NGC group of companies as a result of the Teak and Poui Compression Platforms being leased to Repsol.
In May last year, 30 of those employees were given the opportunity to enhance their technical skills and capabilities at the University of T&T (UTT). The programme is being funded by NGC for a duration of 12 to 18 months.
This was described as a deliberate training effort to upscale employees for the new challenges within the NGC Group. It was then indicated that 15 contractors were also displaced by the new lease agreement.
NGC hired a consultant to conduct a human resource evaluation on the company in October 2016 and as a result, an extension was allegedly requested for an extension until February month end, workers said.
The extension request means that contract workers' individual contracts that would have ended on December 31 were all given a two months extension.
One contract worker, who wished not to be identified, said that they are to know their fate at the end of the evaluation process.
"Everyone is scared of losing their jobs. We have no voice to represent us at NGC. NGC is playing with people's lives, 90 per cent of us have been here a long time and they don't want to make us permanent. We are fed up. What is the reason for cutting jobs?" the frustrated and depressed worker said.
"We also hearing (allegedly) that NGC put out a tender for contract work meaning a company to do our job and the 150 of us contract workers, may be going home," the worker added.
Workers said that between six and eight employees were sent home on December 30 from NGC and about six from its sister company, National Energy Corporation (NEC).
NGC spokeswoman Lisa Burkett confirmed that NGC had engaged a consultant "to assist with an organisational redesign in keeping with its 2016-2020 Strategic Plan. That report was submitted in December 2016."
With respect to the claims of the contract workers being sent home, Burkett said that it was not true and added that "No such Tender was issued." She said that seven employees, whose contracts came to an end in December 2016, were not renewed.
Burkett confirmed that contract employees were extended until February 2017 "to allow for alignment with strategic plan and organisational skill requirements."
On the issue of the hiring of a consultant, she said: "The company engages consultants from time to time and is reviewing all of its processes with a view to greater efficiency and effectiveness."