OWTU TO SERVE STRIKE NOTICE ON PETROTRIN

[nervewrecker]

But $8500.00 not high. I know public servants making more than that and do not one ass right through

Ps, i eh defending strike action in any way eh. Just sayin

[bluefete]

Petrotrin Pay - CNC3

A CLEANER in Petrotrin making $10,400.00 a month and want MORE MONEY???????

That is more than what 80% of the working population of T&T makes in a month.

Who negotiates these salaries on behalf of Petrotrin?

Wait, ent shortman say the other day that the Gov't public sector negotiating team has to approve the salaries?

[Redress10]

Any other country Petrotrin would have faced privatisation and serious job cuts based on their yearly losses etc. It's also ridiculous that the company was allowed to unionised 4500 out of 5000 workers. Mind you this company supplies a service that could literally cripple the country and its infrastructure. This what happens when you give power and position to stupid people. From politician to union leader. We really like to defy logic and economics in this country.

[infinite_RPM]

I all for people getting a pay increase eh.. But not across the board.. Selected positions could get an increase

[Redress10]

I could give pay increase but I also want to see retrenchment and the company back on its feet and heading towards profitability etc.

[GixxerMan]

the government is going to bow down to the union tomorrow watch and see…. all this strike thing done…. ppl have to come in for carnival

[GixxerMan]

Any other country Petrotrin would have faced privatisation and serious job cuts based on their yearly losses etc. It's also ridiculous that the company was allowed to unionised 4500 out of 5000 workers. Mind you this company supplies a service that could literally cripple the country and its infrastructure. This what happens when you give power and position to stupid people. From politician to union leader. We really like to defy logic and economics in this country.

it's called "square pegs in round holes"…. it's nothing new to this country..

[Redress10]

But it's going to impact us even more now and in the future. We simply can no longer afford to be complacent or ineffecient because we will starve. It is as simple as that. The only thing keeping us away from Haiti status is oil and the days for that that basically done. Men in here done start talking about how chicken and chips draining our forex.

[Daran]

Almost no one in Petrotrin deserves an increase. They deserve lay offs and a pay cut.

[The_Honourable]

Almost no one in Petrotrin deserves an increase. They deserve lay offs and a pay cut.

THIS!!!

[dude2014]

By the way for the bright persons who quoting salary, quote the engineer/cleaner salary in US dollars and maybe you can decide if you want to wuk for chewing gum change. Petrotrin is overstaffed. Cut out the fat and persons can actually get decent raises.

Also get rid of the board who dropped the case against a former Biggie in the company. Imagine if we had to pay World GTL the money they were demanding for a failed project.

There are big name companies that raking more money than Petrotrin and have 1/10 the employees or less.
You all know them. Repsol, etc downsized. In Trinidad an Tobago State enterprises are bona fide URP's and the revenues gained is simply used to pay people to create a vote bank.

Privately owned or managed and you will see a profitable enterprise. Just check the ISCOTT to ISPAT story.
When they were not making money they flew out.

[neexis]

By the way for the bright persons who quoting salary, quote the engineer/cleaner salary in US dollars and maybe you can decide if you want to wuk for chewing gum change.

Can't you say the same for most salaries in the country if you convert to US? Minimum wage probably won't get you to $1000 USD. But how is that relevant?

[Redman]

Why is the company over staffed?
It eh happen last week.
If so what has been done?

- 9 BBLS of oil produced per day is a worst in class performance.Or close to it.
- The Forbes link rated TNT oil gas workers 3 highest paid in the world.
-Guardian newspaper today indicates that IOCL workers asking for a 80% increase in their wages to come into parity with Petrotrin workers....

So one can conclude that in absolute terms...Petrotrin workers are well paid....
So forcing the gen pop through this is.....an uneccessary move.

[shake d livin wake d dead]

if carnival 2017 could get 168 million....who is OWTU

[nervewrecker]

By the way for the bright persons who quoting salary, quote the engineer/cleaner salary in US dollars and maybe you can decide if you want to wuk for chewing gum change. Petrotrin is overstaffed. Cut out the fat and persons can actually get decent raises.

Also get rid of the board who dropped the case against a former Biggie in the company. Imagine if we had to pay World GTL the money they were demanding for a failed project.

There are big name companies that raking more money than Petrotrin and have 1/10 the employees or less.
You all know them. Repsol, etc downsized. In Trinidad an Tobago State enterprises are bona fide URP's and the revenues gained is simply used to pay people to create a vote bank.

Privately owned or managed and you will see a profitable enterprise. Just check the ISCOTT to ISPAT story.
When they were not making money they flew out.

Not all sections overtaffed, some severely understaffed.
When oil prices didnt go back up a lot of temporary staff was cut. Some home for weeks and months without getting a lil two weeks.

Cleaners does keep the place clean though. I seen inside admin building santa flora already and its spick and span. They not permanent.
In the public service you see the cleaner early in the morning and never again till next day. I remember a hole was drilled in a wall to put up a picture and the red brick dust fell on an electrical outlet below. 10 years later the dust still there. You get what you pay for I guess

[gastly369]

Oh yes this ched is kicks oui

[Dizzy28]

Petrotrin Pay - CNC3

A CLEANER in Petrotrin making $10,400.00 a month and want MORE MONEY???????

That is more than what 80% of the working population of T&T makes in a month.

Who negotiates these salaries on behalf of Petrotrin?

Wait, ent shortman say the other day that the Gov't public sector negotiating team has to approve the salaries?

Given data from the National Insurance board regarding contributions to the NIS system in 2012 and 2013 (if you have more recent figures feel free to quote it) I would say you are making a spurious statement meant to rile ppl up more than infrom on a point (basically you talking out of your're a$$)

In 2013 37% of contributors to the NIS system earned more than $10,000 per month.

[Average]

Any other country Petrotrin would have faced privatisation and serious job cuts based on their yearly losses etc. It's also ridiculous that the company was allowed to unionised 4500 out of 5000 workers. Mind you this company supplies a service that could literally cripple the country and its infrastructure. This what happens when you give power and position to stupid people. From politician to union leader. We really like to defy logic and economics in this country.

So.....these employees should not have representation then? Only those sitting in ivory chairs have problems with unions.

[eliteauto]

Petrotrin Pay - CNC3

A CLEANER in Petrotrin making $10,400.00 a month and want MORE MONEY???????

That is more than what 80% of the working population of T&T makes in a month.

Who negotiates these salaries on behalf of Petrotrin?

Wait, ent shortman say the other day that the Gov't public sector negotiating team has to approve the salaries?

Given data from the National Insurance board regarding contributions to the NIS system in 2012 and 2013 (if you have more recent figures feel free to quote it) I would say you are making a spurious statement meant to rile ppl up more than infrom on a point (basically you talking out of your're a$$)
Capture.JPG

In 2013 37% of contributors to the NIS system earned more than $10,000 per month.

Considering the NIS pool doesn't capture many working persons his 80% and your 63% ain't that disparate

[Dizzy28]

Generally I wouldn't consider self employed persons nor those that are owners/partners of companies as part of the working population though.
I would consider them as part of the employed population though.

[eliteauto]

I don't know the basis of your definition but as I stated there are persons within the working population that are not captured by NIS, this is for various reasons, some employers have employees off the books, illegal immigrant workers, domestics whose employers did not register etc, so again it's semantics with the percentages. The releasing of the salaries has done it's job to make the population less emphatic with Petrotrin employees

[Redman]

If the lowest rung of the ladder is getting a base of 10k....in absolute terms...how bad can the rest of the workers be paid....???

As a group they are amongst the highest paid in the country..and this action will bring the house of cards that is Petrotrin and the economy down...

They cannot shut the plants down ...given the condition of the plants

[Miktay]

SMH. People doh understand how things really work in Big Gubbament country.

The benchmarks of profitability...efficiency...and productivity don't apply to quasi State enterprises. Quasi State enterprises don't exist to be efficient or profitable. That iza myth. They exist...on one hand...so unions and workers benefit from high wages and benefits for the maximum number of people.

Because of this inherent inefficiency (read: socialism) line managers know they cant do much to improve efficiency. So they toe the line...tief...or become inefficient and lackadaisical...usually because theyre demoralized or are under qualified having been appointed by some pardner or family member.

What do Big Gubbament bureaucrats get in exchange for this wastage? They get the one thing that matters. Votes.

In summary: quasi State companies are run like Welfare organizations. Big Gubbament gets votes. Its a win win for each of these entities in good times.

Who loses? Guess who?

The people lose. The people always lose.

[Redress10]

Any other country Petrotrin would have faced privatisation and serious job cuts based on their yearly losses etc. It's also ridiculous that the company was allowed to unionised 4500 out of 5000 workers. Mind you this company supplies a service that could literally cripple the country and its infrastructure. This what happens when you give power and position to stupid people. From politician to union leader. We really like to defy logic and economics in this country.

So.....these employees should not have representation then? Only those sitting in ivory chairs have problems with unions.

Any company like that with so many employees unionised in 2016 could never be efficient. Management and politicians are also the problem cause they allowed the company to become bloated to such an extent. I don't know if OWTU takes a membership fee/cut of salary a month but if they do I'm guessing that they are swimming in money. Look it's simple, either shape up or ship out. You are in the oil business and you are not making money. Anywhere in the world this company would have been seriously downsized until it is able to catch itself. We are in no way a wealthy nation even though time and time again politicians have tried to fool us into believing this. Why do we insist on burning money at every available opportunity.

Also bro, let's face it fuel is essential to the running of an economy. No way in hell should that be hampered because of strike action. That borders on terrorism and sedition. Could you imagine if we were a country at war or facing constant enemy action. It's time trinis get serious. Also, it's about time the Union do something other than ask for salary increase. How bout stock options, bonds or something more investment friendly for their employees. Why are unions in this country so basic? The minute the workers get "backpay" they run and give the ansa and massy money and that money wines its way out of Trinidad. When will we start making sense?

Downsize Petrotrin and pay according to output. Is time we start taking care of our companies for the future benefit of the nation. Those companies are not efficient and are nothing more than glorified CEPEP and URP. Government has no right in the airline business etc and any state agency that needs to be subsidized in order to continue to operate is doing nothing more than lighting fire on money. Time the nonsense ends.

[Redman]

Redress you realise that there is a lack of solution s from the pro strike other than...
We deserve it...and Redman is an idiot...while both may be correct...neither is relevant to a way forward...

I say give the union a farmed out block...and let them show how productive they can be.

Base the back pay on royalty concessions for oil produced.

Revenue neutral and productivity based.

[Allergic2BunnyEars]

Redress you realise that there is a lack of solution s from the pro strike other than...
We deserve it...and Redman is an idiot...while both may be correct...neither is relevant to a way forward...

I say give the union a farmed out block...and let them show how productive they can be.

Base the back pay on royalty concessions for oil produced.

Revenue neutral and productivity based.

Not sure if you read thru all the articles but the union has repeatedly said it is willing to try new arrangements in terms of shared management etc. Some of these articles are posted here I believe....thoughts?

[bushwakka]

I don't know for sure about some of the actual salary figures but anyone else working Petrotrin here would have to treat that CNC3 report as a lil suspicious.....

You aren't paid by Job Title in Petrotrin ...you are paid by BU (OWTU Bargaining Unit) Grade level.

For eg. a permanent entry level engineer (mechanical, process, petroleum etc.) all start at BU 5
I have no idea what BU grade a cleaner falls under

Managers are paid under a different system not covered by the OWTU bargaining unit...its called Private Payroll (PP). They can be fired or hired on a whim and not covered under any OWTU 'benefits'

[eyeballz]

I realize that a lot of usually sensible posters in this thread are misinformed.

[Allergic2BunnyEars]

I don't know for sure about some of the actual salary figures but anyone else working Petrotrin here would have to treat that CNC3 report as a lil suspicious.....

You aren't paid by Job Title in Petrotrin ...you are paid by BU (OWTU Bargaining Unit) Grade level.

For eg. a permanent entry level engineer (mechanical, process, petroleum etc.) all start at BU 5
I have no idea what BU grade a cleaner falls under

Managers are paid under a different system not covered by the OWTU bargaining unit...its called Private Payroll (PP). They can be fired or hired on a whim and not covered under any OWTU 'benefits'

The CNC3 report is just to stir up negative emotions. Anyone working at Petrotrin knows this. It's standard procedure to publish salaries to make things look bad. The focus then will always be "look how much a laborer getting" or "waaays so much a cleaner getting". It's just base emotions being toyed with right thru. Easily I might add. Trying to have a discussion is basically pointless because minds have already been made up thru propaganda.

[Daran]

The problem with a socialist style heavily unionized companies is that they make things harder for the private sector.

Case in point, I have stopped hiring engineers from south (not that most of them were any good really), because all they want is a cushy engineering job in the Energy sector (and there are a lot!) making 25k/mo.

The salary inflation and laziness caused by unionized industries is what makes our workforce so unproductive. I've recently been to Spain where their economy is in far worse shape that Trinidad (no oil), and there are top experienced engineers who will work hard and deliver results for salaries like 2000 euros a month. Aint know way you getting value for money like that in Trinidad.