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  • 1 year ago
The line minister for the Port Authority told Parliament today the current chaos at the Ports in Port of Spain and Scarborough can be traced to what he says is an unenforceable Memorandum of Agreement signed between the Port Authority and one trade union in 2015.

Juhel Browne reports.
Transcript
00:00As what local business chambers have called the chaos at the Port of Port of
00:04Spain and the Scarborough Port continued on Friday with the Christmas shopping
00:08season underway, Works and Transport Minister Ruan Sinanan spoke on the
00:12matter in the House of Representatives. Madam Speaker, it is important to note
00:18what is the current impasse on the Port of Authority of Trinidad and Tobago and
00:24what it pertains to. Specifically, non-acceptance by one of the recognized
00:31union and its membership in respect of the approved wage offer submitted by PATT.
00:40Minister Sinanan was responding to an urgent question raised by Cuba South MP
00:45Rujunath Indarasinghe on behalf of the opposition. The Works and Transport
00:49Minister spoke about what he said had occurred during the UNC-led People's
00:53Partnership administration before the PNM won the general election on
00:58September 7, 2015. In 2015, a MOA was signed by the DEN Board of the Port
01:05Authority of Trinidad and Tobago which identified a 12% wage increase without
01:12following the acceptable practice. In 2015, it was a similar
01:19inter-ministerial committee that was chaired by Minister Hawaii. Based on the
01:26legal advice from two senior counsel, the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago and
01:31the SWWTU, who advised that the MOA is not enforceable. Minister Sinanan said
01:38the Port Authority has been actively engaging the union to bring about a
01:42settlement on this matter without success. The SWWTU was provided with an
01:48offer for a period 2014 to 2017 and 2017 to 2020. The SWWTU has refused the
02:00submitted offer. MP Indarasinghe sought some clarification from the Works and
02:05Transport Minister. Minister, could you inform this house or are you willing to
02:10make public the two legal opinions that you referred to, that in terms
02:18of the legal advice that was given to the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago
02:22in relation to the negotiation between that was settled in 2015? Madam Speaker,
02:30based on the discussions and the stage of these negotiations, it will be
02:36improper for me to make those available based on impending court action that may
02:44come out of this decision. The opposition MP referred to the Industrial Relations
02:50Act. Are you now saying to this house and to the union and port workers that the
02:56government has altered the recognized majority union certificate and referred
03:02all matters of the port to the chief personal officer? Minister, I did indicate
03:09that under the previous government there was a committee headed by
03:14Minister Larry Hawaii. I don't know if that was altered then. However, what we
03:19can say is they do get guidelines from the committee on negotiations. Minister
03:26Synanon emphasized that there are three bargaining units at the ports under the
03:30Port Authority and the issue is with one bargaining unit. Jule Brown, TV6 News.
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