General secretary of the National Trade Union Centre ( Natuc) Michael Annisette says the Labour Day fiasco at Charlie King Junction, Fyzabad, between its unions and those of the Joint Trade Union Movement (JTUM) or the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) was caused by the police.
He and other members of the Natuc executive, including its president James Lambert and first vice-president Watson Duke, were present for a news conference called to give the facts about the incident.
It was held at the Seamen and Waterfront Workers’ Trade Union headquarters, Wrightson Road, Port-of-Spain.
Media reports last week claimed workers under Natuc who went to celebrate Labour Day were engaged in a clash with those from the JTUM.
But Annisette said yesterday that was not true as there was no clash with the JTUM/OWTU group.
“And the fiasco wasn’t with the Joint Trade Union Movement or the OWTU. It was with the Police Service in their attempt to deny us our rights to go to Charlie King Junction.
“We were denied our rights to go to Charlie King Junction,” he added.
He questioned how could the only internationally recognised labour federation in T&T be denied the right to march in Fyzabad on Labour Day.
“That was a deliberate attempt by the Police Service to create an unnecessary friction,” he added. He insisted that Charlie King Junction was not the “sole domain of the OWTU or Roget.”
Leader of the JTUM, president general of the OWTU Ancel Roget, had said Natuc members were not invited to the celebrations.
However, Annisette said yesterday Charlie King Junction was not owned by Roget and workers were free to assemble and celebrate Labour Day at that historic location.
He said Natuc supporters were allowed by a senior police officer to march to Charlie King Junction on condition that they divert on a side street close to the Labour Day rally organised by the JTUM/OWTU.
He said the fiasco started after another senior officer told them to disregard the previous instruction to march to Charlie King Junction. Annisette said the officer indicated to them that if they refused to “turn back” they will face arrest. Annisette said the media did not report the events accurately.
He said a report, claiming Natuc officers/members stormed the celebrations, was “a misrepresentation of what happened and it was unfortunate that the press will sensationalise a serious issue like that.”
He said the initial route that was given to Natuc by the police for its march was “acknowledged by (Watson) Duke (acting Natuc leader) but it was not agreed to by Duke or Natuc.”
Annisette said Natuc protested an instruction that the Natuc march would proceed at noon, three hours after the JTUM/OWTU lead march “and we protested that too and we said we are not going to accept that and we are not going to tolerate that.”
He said he could not understand how the police “can engage in such subterfuge that will ultimately lead to the fiasco that happened in Fyzabad. At no time did we storm the JTUM/OWTU rally,” he added.
Annisette said the JTUM was not legal as it had no constitution and did not have elections. He said it was formed to unite Natuc and Fitun after the Government was offering a five per cent wage and salary increases to workers a few years ago.
Duke, who also spoke at the news conference, issued a call to Roget and others to return home to Natuc.
He denied claims he wanted or attempted to get on the stage to address the rally.