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T&T workers weigh up further action



By Upstream staff 

About 400 workers employed by Trinidad and Tobago's state-owned oil company Petrotrin will decide early next week whether they will resume protest action over working conditions, a union official said.

Ancil Roget, vice president of the Oilfield Workers Trade Union, said workers returned to work on Wednesday following two days of protest after the company agreed to meet with the union to discuss a number of their complaints.

"Monday will determine what is the next step," Roget said.

The workers, who work in maintenance and administration, are angry at what they perceive as poor working conditions and unsafe practices, the failure of the company to fill positions that have become vacant and job security for workers who have occupied temporary positions over the last two decades.

Referring to the death of one contract worker and four others who continue to be treated for severe burns following an explosion on a rig earlier this month, Roget said Petrotrin was seen as not being serious about health and safety issues.

"Company workers are being put at risk when they work alongside contract workers who don't necessarily go through any formal health and safety procedures," the trade unionist told Reuters.

"The problem with Petrotrin is that they always agree to implement certain procedures and they never do it and that's why we have a serious health and safety problem in the company."

Petrotrin officials could not be reached for comment.


Friday, 30 March, 2007, 00:57 GMT  | last updated: Friday, 30 March, 2007, 08:07 GMT

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