00:00Port and Maritime Services Limited workers are now facing termination after downing tools on Friday in protest of their working conditions and terms.
00:10When they arrived at work today, they found a new crew of workers in their place.
00:14And they say they can get no redress because their boss is also their union rep.
00:20Vanessa Cutting has more.
00:23We have 14 days we could use to our discretion, how we see fit.
00:26So everybody came to work, nobody didn't sign.
00:30So we take that day.
00:31We take the day.
00:33We call, we didn't get a meeting.
00:35That was from a source.
00:36We didn't get a meeting.
00:37So we take the day and we, you know, we say we, you know, we just think we just, we just saw that wrong.
00:43After complaining for years about health and safety issues and the lack of salary negotiations,
00:49workers attached to Port and Maritime Services Limited decided to make their frustrations felt on Friday.
00:55However, when they got to work this morning, they received an unwelcome surprise.
01:01This morning, they bringing workers to replace us after 14 years and how much years we working here.
01:06They bringing workers this morning to try to run us off the building.
01:10They give us a, they give us a letter.
01:12It have no contract.
01:13We never get a contract.
01:14They tell us we breach our contract.
01:15We never see a contract.
01:16It tell us when I came, I asked for a contract and they told me, I'll get a contract after six months and they make me sign a paper to take union dues out my pay.
01:25And when I went back to them, well, I nearly lost my work.
01:28Let me put it like that.
01:29I was victimized from that day.
01:31So I victimized, 13 years now I'm getting victimized.
01:34In the cessation for asking for contracts and asking for raise our pay and all kinds.
01:39The workers were responsible for transporting and stuffing and unstuffing containers at the customs examination station.
01:57There's nobody to help us in the work, so they have no union rep.
02:00And that is really madness that the union representative is all boss at the same time.
02:04That is utter madness.
02:06I talk to the customs this morning and them laugh when they hear that.
02:08They didn't know, I believe.
02:10But the laugh, you don't have no lunchroom.
02:13You're working, you don't have, as I said, no exhaust fan.
02:15There's a furnace inside there.
02:17If you go inside there, it's nasty with pigeon.
02:19It's a furnace.
02:20It's a rat.
02:21It's everything inside.
02:22The dust, everything inside there just to make you sick.
02:25And then it have no health and safety.
02:26It have no fire extinguishers.
02:28It have nothing.
02:29The light will be sparking so we could die in there.
02:31Port and Maritime Services Limited was founded by the Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union.
02:37Attempts to contact SWWTU Secretary General Michael Anaset, who's also on the board of directors of Port and Maritime Services Limited, were unsuccessful.
02:47It's an unknown hypocrite.
02:49All the people on the port say that.
02:51It's just we come last.
02:52Because we're inside the house, you know.
02:54They say we're rich, we're rich, we're rich.
02:56And all the nicest set of talks, they tell us if we work certain amount of containers, we go get incentive or arm, we just call it.
03:03Right.
03:04We work like, they tell us we work 50 containers, we work like 100.
03:07And up to now we can get nothing.
03:08So it's just hypocrisy over hypocrisy again and again.
03:12And we need to get them removed.
03:13Them is the problem with what we're facing here today is Mr. Michael Anaset and he cohorts our managers.
03:21TV6 News was shown the letter from management, which indicates that the workers' action on Friday placed the company in serious breach of its contract with customs and excise.
03:32And as a result, the workers have been suspended without pay, pending the outcome of a disciplinary herring.
03:39TV6 News has also reached out to Customs for response.
03:43Renessa Cutting, TV6 News.
03:45Meantime, the Port Authority is distancing itself from the situation and says it is currently reviewing its legal options.
03:53In light of Port and Maritime Services Limited having using the authority's letterhead to issue the suspension letters.
04:00In response to CCN TV6, the authority explains that there was a previous arrangement between the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago and Port and Maritime Services Limited.
04:11However, that arrangement officially ended on December 1, 2005.
04:17The Port Authority says, therefore, the use of any letterhead bearing PATS information by PMSL is unauthorized and inappropriate.
04:26Authority says it can categorically state that it currently has no arrangement or affiliation with PMSL, nor are they involved in the operations in any capacity.
04:38Authority says the matter is being treated with by its legal team.
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