JSL workers protest poor conditions

JSL International offshore workers took to the streets yesterday, to protest poor conditions at the company.

The employees came out with the support of the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) from 10 am, led by union president Ancel Roget. They then marched and chanted with picket signs in hand at the entrance of JSL International, on Abercromby Street, Port of Spain.

The employees claimed there had been disregard of their collective agreements, unfair treatment, and refusal to pay injury compensation. The union also saw the protest as an act of defiance against the company which had, in the past, allegedly victimised and sent pre-action protocol letters to workers who were part of previous protests.

Roget confirmed the allegations against the company in an interview with the media yesterday and dared JSL to send a pre-action protocol letter to his the OWTU.

He added that the workers demonstrating yesterday were exercising their lawful right to protest and picket their employer because of issues that were not being dealt with.

Roget referred to a complaint sent to the union that a man was injured while on a rig doing contract work for the company. The employee said he was made to wait for a number of days before being taken to shore for medical attention. Roget said, to this day, the man had not been properly compensated, the treatment he needed had not been provided and the man might be permanently incapacitated because of his injury.

JSL International is a labour supply contractor for offshore oil rigs and platforms off the East Coast. In response to the claims made by workers through the union, JSL officials told Newsday that it was the company who sometimes felt victimised.

Kezia Johnson-Ramoutar, legal and industrial relations advisor to JSL International, said victimisation, in particular, was an allegation where the burden of proof fell on the victimised. Newsday was told there were several policies and procedures which employees could use which included one-on-one communication between management and employees.

She said the company practised an “open door” policy where all employees could broach their issues with management. Ramoutar added that claims and issues could also be dealt with through the Ministry of Labour and Industrial Court – a forum which the company itself intended to use, to seek redress against employees.

“The Company does not believe in using unwarranted and baseless means and ways of restitution. It is clear from the union’s action that we are beyond the stage of engaging in civil and rational discussions at a bilateral level.”