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  • 1 year ago
The Union representing Port workers and its members made their way today to the Finance Minister’s office, but with no response, so they made their way to the Works and Transport Minister's Office.


Although they met with Rohan Sinanan who is the Minister responsible for the Port Authority, no compromise was had.


Urvashi Tiwari Roopnarine reports.

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Transcript
00:00Michael Anassat, President of the Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union, spoke with
00:05TV6 after the meeting as weeks of action have resulted in delays at the port and a nightmare
00:12for businessmen.
00:13He's saying that port workers ought to be treated with dignity.
00:17This struggle is not only for 12 percent.
00:21This struggle is for a better port because the framework agreement that we signed with
00:27the PP partnership government speak to putting international best practices and it would
00:36have taken the port to a place which is required for the port to be competitive, sustainable
00:43and productive.
00:45Delays have become the order of the day at the Port of Spain port.
00:49Truck drivers report to TV6 they are strategically turned away on Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays
00:56just so that the port will open on Saturday and workers could secure overtime.
01:02Some allege they are not being offloaded nor loaded for hours unless they quote unquote
01:08handle the foreman at the car park.
01:11One driver tells us today was one of those days when no staff turned up for duty at the
01:16Westgate and containers could not be loaded.
01:19In the meantime the SWWTU wants government to stop interfering in negotiations and abide
01:27by the agreement signed between the union and management in 2015.
01:32And I want the government to know and also the minister of works and transport that a
01:41state manual enterprise which is a policy decision is not legal.
01:47I want them to know that the inter-ministerial committee is not legal.
01:52How dare and how come that the government will want to interfere with negotiations when
01:58they are not the employer.
02:00Let me repeat it.
02:01The inter-ministerial committee or the line minister is not the employer.
02:08The employer is the port authority.
02:10The standoff began in August with periods of slowed down operations.
02:15The business community called for good sense to prevail saying the actions of port workers
02:20are affecting their most commercial time of the year.
02:24This struggle started in August of this year.
02:27So don't come and say we wait until Christmas to hold all it a ransom.
02:32If you all were serious in August this would have been settled and it is a simple way to
02:37settle this agreement, sign the framework agreement and implement it with all the measures
02:44or alternatively give dock workers in Port of Spain the same rates that is being paid
02:50to workers in Point Blisses and we will go back to work tomorrow.
02:54As it relates to the government seeking legal advice, the unionist reminds government it
02:59was the very legal advice that landed them losses against the former central bank governor
03:05and the auditor general.
03:07It is with the tax payers money that you have to take to pay out these matters in these
03:16matters and therefore don't come and tell Siemens union but you get advice and advice
03:22is just an advice and if you are so sure well let me test it now.
03:26Chambers of Commerce have come out asking government to do what has to be done to restore
03:32operations.
03:33Anas had questions if they actually believe the army can do their jobs.
03:38He calls on the public to stop demonising the workers and instead sympathise with their
03:42position.
03:43The SWWTU met with the Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinhanan but there appeared
03:50to be no middle ground.
03:52Neither the union nor the minister was able to provide any context to the meeting.
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