Eight people, including a woman police officer, are expected to appear in the Scarborough Magistrates Court today charges arising out of an alleged altercation aboard the T&T Express on Friday. The incident occurred as hundreds of passengers endured a five and half hour wait to dock at the Scarborough harbour. The T&T Guardian understands a bride and groom who were expected to be married in Tobago on Friday at 3 pm were among those charged. They had to cancel their wedding.
When the boat finally docked the eight people were identified by port police, detained and taken to the Scarborough Police Station where they were charged with entering a restricted area, using obscene language, assault and obstruction. All were granted bail at the police station.
Passengers were stuck aboard the T&T Express from 9 am, after arriving from Trinidad, as the ferry was unable to dock due to industrial action by the crew and port employees.
The T&T Spirit, which was scheduled to depart at 6.30 am, was also delayed and remained moored at the port for hours. An estimated 1,500 passengers were affected. A representative from the Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union (SWWTU) confirmed that the delay of both ferries was due to a protest over outstanding payments owed to employees for the period 2012 and 2014 of the marine collective agreement.
The last proposal from the Chief Personnel Officer was in 2014, and it was rejected by the union and deemed “vexatious”, the union official said.