OWTU TO SERVE STRIKE NOTICE ON PETROTRIN

[pjfred]

Management make all the money whilst workers get sheit on, oilfield wage are down compared to similar positions in point lisas which are 3 and 4 times the take home. You people need to get your facts straight cuz there are workers who left their job to come in the oilfield and regretted.

[pjfred]

Oilfield workers are low income now compared to their counterparts in point lisas. There are some who left their jobs to come into oilfield and had to return cuz they could not pay their bills. It's much harder now to manage with a family, mortgage, cost of living and fuel prices. Even t&tec is much greater.

[InsanityReigns]

The joke is that there is now an abundance of foreign oil workers that would be happy to fill in ....so let the unions push the public perception further towards privatization......

Sunlight is the best disinfectant.....As a state enterprise there should be publication of salaries paid for job specs....let the public see what these workers get in absolute terms...details for benefits etc

You think these foreign workers want to be paid in TTD? Where you getting forex to pay them? You see how you does talk rel nonsense sheit. Someone said earlier like you tried a number of years to get through to work Petrotrin but like you never make the cut. How long you toting now? With every post you really seem like you wanted a work there bad.

[pjfred]

Redman your an idiot!!

[Redman]

Yep pretty cogent responses....smh
But let's look again.....nope nothing Germaine the the thread.

No suggestions on a way forward.
Nothing to dispute ideas or opinions stated.
Just irrelevant juvenile personal responses.

Btw
What currency the workers who here and working getting?

Pjfred...my what is an idiot?

[nervewrecker]

Rewind about 20 years. Salary of a production operator was about 1/4 that of a primary school teacher. People whom worked in the public service had nice salaries, nice life and their kids lived happy. Nobody wanted to work in the oil industry, nobody wanted a job in petrotrin and petrotrin around long time. They would have just hired a few people around the area who looking for work and competent enough to not get killed.
Some years back tables turned and men in the oil industry have nice salaries and profit sharing is a thing. Men went in the firm and buy brand new vehicles cash. They advance themselves in society a bit, educate their children etc.
The public servants who been doing nothing donkey years now keep getting increases that petrotrin paying and they toting that they want jobs in there now. They want to come in with the same mentality - sit down till 4 and clock in overtime, like in wasa and t&tec nah.
They know about petrotrin and not the other places in the point lisas industrial estate because petrotrim always in the media. Its state owned and everytime nearing xmas and carnival it have an oil spill where people getting money. People always trying to blackmail the company into eating a food.
Everyone feel is just about coming to work and relaxing but might change their mind when they go for h2s orientation alone. A set of villagers march unto a location on the east coast demanding jobs not too long ago. They just want jobs, no qualifications, no experience, no nothing. Just come, chill and get money for tiidas with chromes and hard pong.
Some villagers have successfully taken up residence on well locations and the wells had to ne condemend.

All of a sudden everyone want a job in there and who cant get one toting. They feel is a vacation in there.

[hydroep]

Malcolm Jones probably chugging down Tequila by the caseload and laughing he arse off while watching these two set ah rat fight for the bite-up cheese he leave there fuh dem.

[Redman]

Yep pretty cogent responses....smh
But let's look again.....nope nothing Germaine the the thread.

No suggestions on a way forward.
Nothing to dispute ideas or opinions stated.
Just irrelevant juvenile personal responses.

Btw
What currency the workers who here and working getting?

Pjfred...my what is an idiot?

[pjfred]

Sunlight is the best disinfectant when you consider foreign workers explain? Grenadian, Chinese, Guyanese? Qualifications, experience? OSHA ? HSE? Plea? Insurance? Shoddy work questionable like our present government. Idiot means an ass who would defend a regime that does nothing for but because you are the same race or trying to be would defend to death. The death part I like cause I'm trying hard to get my personal firearm Liscense. Then I could legally deal with this situation of my country. Then I would show muffler bearings how to conduct themselves.

[Allergic2BunnyEars]

Oh gorsh fellas. All this set ah emotions not necessary.

[Joshie23]

Increase the salary but fire everyone from Petrotrin and interview to re hire (myself included). There Would'nt be so much animosity towards Petrotrin about this wage increase if there wasn't the perception that the workers are undeserving... So let them earn it

Same thing I was saying..everyone is beating up about Petrotrin employees and what not, but give them a chance to jump out in a coverall or better yet a lil fancy shirt to large up in the ICT department or HR department and they will NEVER turn down the opportunity in the name of the 'greater good'. These are the same men that prancing through Gulf or pulling up in front Convent to harass somebody's daughter, in full PPE, hang a badge on their rear view mirror and put a helmet on their back dash for the world to see.

Again, I'm totally against a strike but who are you to say workers are undeserving and then in the same breath, say you'd want to be a part of the team? As De Dragon asked earlier, do you know why people who work in volatile environments get paid the way they do? While industrial workers on a daily basis fear a valve cutting, the biggest occupational hazard some of the men who are doing and saying the most will face is a paper cut.

[kjaglal76v2]

Lol @ employee problems


Toodles

[jcrew]

Increase the salary but fire everyone from Petrotrin and interview to re hire (myself included). There Would'nt be so much animosity towards Petrotrin about this wage increase if there wasn't the perception that the workers are undeserving... So let them earn it

Same thing I was saying..everyone is beating up about Petrotrin employees and what not, but give them a chance to jump out in a coverall or better yet a lil fancy shirt to large up in the ICT department or HR department and they will NEVER turn down the opportunity in the name of the 'greater good'. These are the same men that prancing through Gulf or pulling up in front Convent to harass somebody's daughter, in full PPE, hang a badge on their rear view mirror and put a helmet on their back dash for the world to see.

Again, I'm totally against a strike but who are you to say workers are undeserving and then in the same breath, say you'd want to be a part of the team? As De Dragon asked earlier, do you know why people who work in volatile environments get paid the way they do? While industrial workers on a daily basis fear a valve cutting, the biggest occupational hazard some of the men who are doing and saying the most will face is a paper cut.

Yeah boy is true. Iz the men who bashing Petrotrin is the one who want a wuk there rel bad. They would love a lil Petrotrin hse token to flams.

[Redman]

Sunlight is the best disinfectant when you consider foreign workers explain? Grenadian, Chinese, Guyanese? Qualifications, experience? OSHA ? HSE? Plea? Insurance? Shoddy work questionable like our present government. Idiot means an ass who would defend a regime that does nothing for but because you are the same race or trying to be would defend to death. The death part I like cause I'm trying hard to get my personal firearm Liscense. Then I could legally deal with this situation of my country. Then I would show muffler bearings how to conduct themselves.

Learn the difference between you're and your.

And the License you trying to get has no 'S' ...so good luck with that.

[bluesclues]

Sunlight is the best disinfectant when you consider foreign workers explain? Grenadian, Chinese, Guyanese? Qualifications, experience? OSHA ? HSE? Plea? Insurance? Shoddy work questionable like our present government. Idiot means an ass who would defend a regime that does nothing for but because you are the same race or trying to be would defend to death. The death part I like cause I'm trying hard to get my personal firearm Liscense. Then I could legally deal with this situation of my country. Then I would show muffler bearings how to conduct themselves.

Learn the difference between you're and your.

And the License you trying to get has no 'S' ...so good luck with that.

You're

[The_Honourable]

Great to see that the citizens of Trinidad are concerned about Petrotrin and its future.
They have indicated their understanding of why Petrotrin cannot pay more to their workers.
They now need to express loudly to those in authority that management of this national asset has to improved to make it profitable and it needs to have been done yesterday.
Admit that not only the current price of oil has this national company in the mess it is in.

Very sensible post bro. From subpar engineers to a plethora of square pegs in round holes, to a massive HR department..the list goes on. There are a lot of problems plaguing Petrotrin that can be reversed quite easily but political roots have a huge part to play. Some who couldn't make a significant (positive) contribution in 30something years of service with the company, can come back after retirement as consultants or worse, the President (remember the Hassanali situation a few months ago..I guess our 9 day memory took hold of that too) to take home MASSIVE salaries and make a bad situation, worse. People like to talk about lazy employees are well paid but the impact 5 lazy low level employees have is minimal in comparison to 5 vindictive, corrupt managers, so please remember the issues are largely political.

Joshie23, I appreciate reading what you have stated. Can you explain the problems that plague Petrotrin in some detail? I am reading so far is that Political Influence/Interference is the main problem with Management second.

Does anytone have a chart or article anywhere comparing Petrotrin salaries of an oil worker (plus other positions) versus other oil companies?

[SR]

Would any of the current petrotrin workers be willing to post thier job description and current salary with benefits??

[tr1ad]

Would any of the current petrotrin workers be willing to post thier job description and current salary with benefits??

Now yuh want strike on the forum

[Redman]

Apparently Gillette and Ramnarine supporting the PNM...cuz they saying that this strike is extortion.

Why is the union so confident in Roget succeeding with oil at 30....when he failed to secure their future when oil is at 100????


my my.

[devon0254]

Would any of the current petrotrin workers be willing to post thier job description and current salary with benefits??

Saw these articles from 2012 as it relates to the salaries for general labourers in 2012:

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/news/Petrotrin-strike-off-139519043.html

There salaries would have also increased since then because of their COLA...

[MG Man]

so by Roget and some of the petrotrinnists in tjhis ched's logic of, 'we does provide fuel for allyuh so we need we mornee', then Nurses should be among the highest paid workers in the country....where's their representation? What about life guards? And teachers???????
If allyuh logic is 'pay we for what we does do for allyuh', then allyuh really need s serious reality check

[j.o.e]

Trade unions in this case are standing in the way of national progress. I'm all for workers rights but this is ridiculous.

[j.o.e]

Trade unions in this case are standing in the way of national progress. I'm all for workers rights but this is ridiculous.

[Allergic2BunnyEars]

Enill: Poor will feel the pain

http://www.guardian.co.tt/news/2017-01- ... -feel-pain





Two former energy ministers yesterday commented on the looming threat of a strike at Petrotrin, with both Conrad Enill and Kevin Ramnarine agreeing that T&T cannot afford a strike at this time.

Enill called on all parties—the company’s board, the government and the Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU)—to come to an amicable settlement before union president Ancel Roget serves a strike notice on the state-owned company tomorrow, while Kevin Ramnarine said that based on state owned Petrotrin’s financial position they cannot afford to give a salary increases at this time.

Enill, who served as energy minister between 2007 and 2010, said the only thing the country would face if Petrotrin shuts down its workforce were negatives and pain, as citizens, the protective services and businesses would face major disruptions and trauma.

“I do not believe at this point the country should face that activity given the economic challenges. I think what should occur is that the company should sit with the union and work out the issues.

“We cannot continue in Trinidad and Tobago striking for everything. And we can’t continue at the same time, in not listening to what is taking place.

“We all went to school to learn things. We all should understand that if the prices of oil and gas have been reduced dramatically it means we do not have the revenues as we had before.”

Coming out of this issue should be a win-win situation for all, Enill said.

“Whatever happens it should be a negotiated settlement without putting the people of the country through pain. It is going to be painful.”

Enill said the ones to suffer the most would be the poor.

He said before the PNM came into office they had a relationship with Roget.

“They were able to sit down around a table and talk about national issues. That is what is required at this point in time. I think that somebody has to take the country’s leadership and try to resolve this issue in the shortest possible time. It cannot be that the only time you will deal with the matter is when you start to hurt people. That makes no sense.”

If this matter is not addressed in a timely fashion, Enill said the ramifications could be devastating.

“In the first instance this can shut down the country. If people can’t move freely from one place to the other... then you have two things happening, you have the whole transportation sub sector not being able transport good and services. It means you are going to have shortages (of goods) which can trigger price increases. There is a whole series of activities that can occur as result of not being able to move in the country because there is no fuel.”

Enill said in his view all this was “negatives.”

While the Government had the ability to get the army to operate Petrotrin’s refinery as a contingency plan, Enill said this was not a good use of resources.

“If we have a crime problem in the country then military resources should be able to deal with that.”

However, Enill said if the strike takes place it would become a national security issue.

“Because you are going to have a situation in the society where even the military may not be able to be transported and go where they need to go....therefore they are going to have to deal with it as though it is a threat.”

Meanwhile, Kevin Ramnarine, who served as energy minister from 2011 to 2015, said that based on state-owned Petrotrin’s financial position they cannot afford to give a salary increases at this time.

“I am saying that the financial position of the company cannot justify an increase in wages,” he told the Guardian yesterday.

Ramnarine had given statistics to show that Petrotrin’s revenue fell from TT$ 29 billion in 2014 to TT $16 billion in 2016.

This comes at a time where oil production in T&T has been falling and enegry prices globally have fallen to their lowest in decades.

The Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) had given Petrotrin an ultimatum to settle negotiations with the union or there will be a shutadown of the company.

Ancel Roget, OWTU’s Secretary General speaking at a media conference last week said that the strike action would not only be aimed at the company but also at the Government.

Petrotrin has offered zero-zero-zero percent increase to the oil union for the 2011 to 2014 period.

Fitzroy Harewood, President of Petrotrin in a letter to employees had said: It also goes without saying that the company’s financial losses will be greater due to the loss of revenue expected during the period of a strike”

Ramnarine suggested that future wage increases be tied to performance.

“They need to link future increases in wages to improvements in performance of the company measured by increased oil production and increased refinery output and efficiency,” he said.

Ramnarine added that if OWTU and Petrotrin do not come to an agreement and they decide to take industrial action there should be “contingency plans” in place.

“There are established contingencies at Petrotrin, National Petroleum (NP) and Unipet to ensure the delivery of fuel to the country.”

[Allergic2BunnyEars]

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/20170102 ... ting-today

OWTU and Petrotrin in last meeting today


THE day before the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU) is threatening to shut down the operations of Petrotrin, the union will be meeting with company officials today in a final attempt to settle wage negotiations.

In a statement issued yesterday, OWTU said today's meeting was scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Ministry of Labour's office, St James Street, San Fernando.

The OWTU will be making a statement this morning during a news conference before the meeting.

The period of conciliation regarding Petrotrin workers' wage increase for the period 2014 to 2017 officially expires today.

On Friday, OWTU president general Ancel Roget threatened that workers will be striking from tomorrow should Petrotrin not agree on wage negotiations.

The union is asking for a ten per cent increase in wages for the collective bargaining period.

Petrotrin president Fitzroy Harewood had issued a statement explaining why Petrotrin could not increase salaries and appealed to the union to be considerate.

[MG Man]

the world is feverishly working towards cutting the dependency on crude oil energy
We as a nation need to be working toward a future 10-20 years from now where we do not rely on crude as our bread and butter, and cars not dependent on traditional fuels...time to start putting things in place were these fellas are no longer in a position to hold the country to ransom because they represent a dying industry anyway

Time for the government to take that money and CEPEP money and pay farmers to grow stuff to eat / export
Contracts to pay farmers to plant acres and acres of avocado, palms, coconut, cocoa and whatever other exotic fruits the planet is consuming....right now, nobody can supply enough zabooka for cosmetic companies, dark chocolate, palm oil etc....why de rass we not pumping money into these things?
You want 30 acres? Fine. Submit a 10 year plan inclusive of what you need (seedlings, fertilizer, equipment, workers etc) and you get land to grow your stuff, NOT land you can claim as yours in 10 years al-la Caroni workers and their entitlement sihht....the land belongs to the state and you are getting a contract to grow stuff.....and you will be audited regularly....make use of all those UWI agri-business graduates

gnomesayin

[pete]

Who gonna get bribes if they do those things?

[jhonnieblue]

They should use this opportunity to push planning for diversification and them privatize petrotrin. This strike mentality trinis have..smh

[bluesclues]

the world is feverishly working towards cutting the dependency on crude oil energy
We as a nation need to be working toward a future 10-20 years from now where we do not rely on crude as our bread and butter, and cars not dependent on traditional fuels...time to start putting things in place were these fellas are no longer in a position to hold the country to ransom because they represent a dying industry anyway

Time for the government to take that money and CEPEP money and pay farmers to grow stuff to eat / export
Contracts to pay farmers to plant acres and acres of avocado, palms, coconut, cocoa and whatever other exotic fruits the planet is consuming....right now, nobody can supply enough zabooka for cosmetic companies, dark chocolate, palm oil etc....why de rass we not pumping money into these things?
You want 30 acres? Fine. Submit a 10 year plan inclusive of what you need (seedlings, fertilizer, equipment, workers etc) and you get land to grow your stuff, NOT land you can claim as yours in 10 years al-la Caroni workers and their entitlement sihht....the land belongs to the state and you are getting a contract to grow stuff.....and you will be audited regularly....make use of all those UWI agri-business graduates

gnomesayin

Correct. They have no bargaining power in a declining industry. Let them strike, and send our defence force personnel to handle distribution indefinitely. Im sure they are paid well enough for one day's work. There are other areas that need the money.

My advice to petrotrin workers.. start saving like normal ppl from now. Ur lifestyle is going to come to an end. Your high salary is going to come to an end. You are going to lose your jobs and your children will not be able to or even want to work in an obslete energy company. Face and accept this, that the days of bread buttered with honey are coming to an end. There will be no wage increase.

I did warn allyuh bout everyting. Up to the otherday under redman scrutiny i warn energy sector. I am waaay ahead of u. Yes i can see and travel through time in the 'blink of an eye'.

And that farming on state owned land is called homesteading. Been done in america for abut 2 centuries.

[shake d livin wake d dead]

So wah is the verdict?? Strike or no...I sure it have someone here on the inside