More than 40 workers have been suspended from the National Petroleum Marketing Company Ltd (NP), pending an investigation into why they were absent from work, NP’s acting corporate communications manager Rae Gilbert said at a news conference yesterday. The decision by NP came after it said the workers had engaged in an illegal work stoppage, aided by their representing union, the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU).
“The OWTU has encouraged an illegal work stoppage by some of our NP employees,” Gilbert told the media. “We wish to advise that those employees who engaged in such actions have been suspended with pay with immediate effect pending investigation. The outcome of these investigations will determine whether any further disciplinary action is to be taken.”
The impasse between workers and the company reached boiling point on Wednesday, when workers walked out of the head office at Sea Lots, Port-of-Spain, to express outrage over what they claimed was an attempt by management to privatise the company. The workers also claimed they were being asked by management to train individuals they believed would eventually replace them in their jobs.
Yesterday, the action continued at the Sea Lots home base, with protesting workers claiming that 60 of their colleagues had been suspended. The letter of suspension issued to the workers, which was obtained by the T&T Guardian, was signed by Deborah Dinoo- Benjamin, general manager, retail and industrial fuels.
More than 40 workers have been suspended from the National Petroleum Marketing Company Ltd (NP), pending an investigation into why they were absent from work, NP’s acting corporate communications manager Rae Gilbert said at a news conference yesterday. The decision by NP came after it said the workers had engaged in an illegal work stoppage, aided by their representing union, the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU).
“The OWTU has encouraged an illegal work stoppage by some of our NP employees,” Gilbert told the media. “We wish to advise that those employees who engaged in such actions have been suspended with pay with immediate effect pending investigation. The outcome of these investigations will determine whether any further disciplinary action is to be taken.”
The impasse between workers and the company reached boiling point on Wednesday, when workers walked out of the head office at Sea Lots, Port-of-Spain, to express outrage over what they claimed was an attempt by management to privatise the company. The workers also claimed they were being asked by management to train individuals they believed would eventually replace them in their jobs.
Yesterday, the action continued at the Sea Lots home base, with protesting workers claiming that 60 of their colleagues had been suspended. The letter of suspension issued to the workers, which was obtained by the T&T Guardian, was signed by Deborah Dinoo- Benjamin, general manager, retail and industrial fuels.
It stated: “We refer to your refusal to report for work and carry out duties on August 14 and 15 along with other employees, while on the plant...In this regard, you are suspended with full pay with effect from August 16 pending completion of our investigation.”
Defining what she meant by suspension “pending an investigation,” she said: “As far as we are concerned, the work stoppage was an unlawful one. This happened since Tuesday...who were suspended today were gone for the entire three days, there are varying persons who have been affected differently, so all these things have to be taken into consideration.” But Gilbert denied yesterday that 60 employees had been sent home, saying that the figure was “forty-something.”
Describing the protest as “unlawful,” Gilbert said every attempt would be made to ensure that the company’s operations were not affected. NP has indicated that the action did not affect the country’s fuel supplies, but workers yesterday suggested that while it was not their intention to disrupt supplies, shortages could result soon. Responding to the allegation that attempts were being made to privatise NP’s operations, Gilbert said that was not so.
“The training of NP management and staff in the operations at the Point-a-Pierre bond was in no way intended to replace permanent employees,” she said. “NP’s network of dealers and franchises has been clamouring for a more efficient distribution system, which the company sought to provide by training additional members of our management and staff to meet the shortfall in staffing,” Gilbert said.
She added that it was not the first time that training had been done in gantry operations, so “it was not something out of the ordinary, it was explained (to the workers).” Gilbert said there were no untrained workers operating the gantry. Regarding workers’ demand to meet with management, Gilbert said NP’s management was yet to decide on that. Talks between the union and management were ongoing up to last evening.