One day before the major players meet to resolve the current impasse between Oilfields Workers Trade Union (OWTU) president general Ancel Roget and state-owned Petrotrin, Roget said yesterday that the union was not asking for favours from either Petrotrin or Labour Minister Errol McLeod.
McLeod called for the meeting to end the deadlock over the company’s refusal to extend Roget’s secondment to the union and Roget ‘s defiance of the company’s demand that he return to work.
In a telephone interview yesterday, Roget said McLeod would not be allowed to use any resolution from Monday’s meeting to “look like a hero.”
The Sunday Guardian contacted McLeod, questioning whether he had ever faced this type of ultimatum from Petrotrin during his more than 21-year stint at the top of the OWTU.
“I would rather answer any question on this matter after my meeting with both parties on Monday,” McLeod said.
When pressed to say whether he could recall any such move directed at him, McLeod reiterated that he would respond after Monday’s meeting.
But Roget, who worked as OWTU’s first vice president under McLeod, said he could not recall a similar situation under McLeod’s tenure.
“There would have been letters expressing concern about the extensions, but it was always granted because of the work that the person was doing on the executive. I am sure he has never had to deal with this type of ultimatum,” Roget said.
Roget said he firmly believed that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar was behind the “sinister” move by the company to refuse an extension of his secondment to the union and he also believed that McLeod was aware of the move.
“Why would the whole Cabinet not be apprised of what the plan is?” he said.
The request for an extension of the secondment of three union executives was sent by the union back in October. On Thursday, Roget tore up the letter from Petrotrin recalling him to work and refusing his request for an extension.
Roget, in turn, sent a letter to Petrotrin calling for an apology, an immediate withdrawal of the letter demanding his return to work, and the approval of his extended secondment.