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  • 1 year ago
How do we tell workers to return to work? That's what the Seamen and Waterfront Workers' Trade Union is asking, amid claims of a slew of health and safety concerns by workers, among other issues.


It comes as workers have refused an instruction by the Port's management to return to duty, citing the adverse effect their action has caused to a vessel, 'Asian Trust'.


Alicia Boucher has the details.
Transcript
00:00According to workers, this is a washroom facility at Shed 3 at the port of Port of Spain.
00:10And these are mosquitoes, from what we're told, in infested parts of the port.
00:15President of the Seamen and Waterfront Workers Union Michael Anisar tells us concerns raised
00:20in a meeting with management on March 12 of this year included vehicles with missing lights,
00:26shabby mirrors and seats, poor lighting at the container terminal, no air-conditioning
00:31and other problems.
00:32And as I speak to you today, there is no substantial or material resolution to these issues.
00:42Shed 10, where we have the barrel shop, raw sewage leaking, that is a serious health hazard.
00:52The fire system alarm is not working, so if there's a fire, no alarm.
00:57According to the SWWT, workers are justified if they choose not to work under those conditions.
01:03And we don't do it, we continue.
01:08But the old saying, pressure does bust by, and the pipe busts.
01:14So when the pipe busts, you have to get a plumber now to fix it.
01:17In a letter to the union on October 7, the management of the Port Authority responded
01:22to a request from the SWWT for a meeting saying one will be scheduled when the port receives
01:29an assurance from the trade union that there will be a discontinuation of the actions that
01:34are disrupting operations and the restoration of normal levels of attendance and productivity.
01:40The port management cited that workers, as of last week, have been failing to take up
01:46duties causing a severe hampering of operations.
01:49Well, a day later, a long line of trucks was observed on Ryerson Road, waiting to enter
01:55the port.
01:56This in turn caused traffic in the area.
01:59Anasat says he's uncertain about the reason for that, further suggesting that it's a question
02:04for the port's management.
02:05However, the port has issued another notice dated October 8, once again highlighting that
02:11its operations have been severely hampered by what it referred to as, quote, unquote,
02:16the continued disruptive actions of workers.
02:19The port further instructed that workers report for duty at 12 noon, saying, quote, of primary
02:25concern at this time is the fact that roll on roll off vessel Asian Trust, which arrived
02:30and berthed on 2024, October 6th, has been negatively impacted and delayed due to the
02:36unavailability of labor to offload vehicles destined for Trinidad.
02:41The vessel is expected to arrive at its next port of call tomorrow based on its pre-planned
02:46schedule.
02:47Accordingly, it is imperative that the Asian Trust offload today, which marks the second
02:52day of unproductive work for the vessel.
02:56End quote.
02:57How do I tell a worker, and I say that to the general public, worker, go back to work
03:03when pigeon drops are in the shed.
03:07How do I tell a worker to go and drive a tractor truck when there's no AC, there's
03:12no refumera glass for him to look back to?
03:16And the SWWTU has a message for the Port Authority.
03:20What I will tell the management, from my experience, is that rather than put a gun on conditionality
03:30for the return of normalcy, right, that we try and meet and have discussions in order
03:39to demonstrate in a tangible way that there is a commitment.
03:44Anasat says that must be followed up with implementation of the decisions made previously.
03:50The Port Authority subsequently issued a notice to stakeholders, informing them that as at
03:563 p.m., operations continued to be affected due to a reduction in labor.
04:01It stated that there were no operations at a container vessel operations and container
04:06terminal operations used for the receipt and delivery of containers.
04:12Alicia Boucher, TV6 News.
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