Gail Alexander
and Sascha Wilson
Labour Minister Errol McLeod says no move will be made by Petrotrin to fire Oilfield Workers Trade Union president general Ancel Roget and he will meet both parties next Monday on the issue.
“They can’t do that. Nothing will take effect until they meet with me,” McLeod declared yesterday to T&T Guardian.
He made the comment even as trade union leaders knocked Petrotrin for trying to recall Roget and his two executive members from secondment.
Commenting briefly on the situation, McLeod said it was a nonsensical issue and the company could not do as it had indicated.
“They ought not to do that and I’m going to insist that they should not do that,” he said.
“I’ve asked my chief conciliator to get in touch with both parties and summoned them to a meeting with me at 3 pm on Monday on the situation. So far the company has agreed to meet and we’re awaiting word from Mr Roget but I’m available on this issue.”
McLeod had been Roget’s predecessor in the OWTU
Both Roget and first vice president Carlton Gibson defied the company’s order to return to work yesterday or lose all their benefits. However, T&T Guardian was told that chief labour relations officer John Boiselle returned to work.
OWTU chief education and research officer Ozzi Warwick said Petrotrin did not contact Roget yesterday.
“Petrotrin can do two things, either fire them or rescind the decision; there will be no middle ground,” Warwick said.
Roget, who could not be reached for comment yesterday, has refused to go back to work and challenged the company to fire them.
The union was served with a legal letter a month ago advising that union leave for Roget, Gibson and Boiselle had expired; it gave them until yesterday to return to work or lose all their benefits.
Warwick did not mention that Boiselle had returned to work, but a subsequent release from Petrotrin said one of the union members had returned to work.
Petrotrin ready for talks
Petrotrin announced yesterday that it had accepted an invitation by the Ministry of Labour to discuss the issue on Monday.
In a press release, Petrotrin stated that it had extended numerous invitations (both verbally and written) to OWTU through its industrial relations department to meet and hold dialogue concerning its request for an extension of leave on union business for the three employees.
Noting that only two leave extensions of two years each are usually granted to union members on secondment, Petrotrin said, “Thus far one of the three employees has decided to return to work at Petrotrin and the company welcomes him back.”
The company said, however, it remained open to meeting and treating with the OWTU in the interest of good industrial relations practice.