Roget: I have no respect for Rowley

UPDATED:

Saying he has absolutely no respect for Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley, president general of the Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) Ancel Roget yesterday accused the ruling PNM administration of repeatedly failing the country.

Referring to Cabinet members as a band of misfits, Roget told workers of state-owned Petrotrin that things are going to get nastier before they get good.

“They want to come and drive the final nails in the coffin of Petrotrin,” Roget said. “Not over our dead bodies must we allow that to happen. If we have to take away the jobs from those who want to take over my job, I do not care. I am coming for you, accompanied by the thousands of Petrotrin workers who today are on the chopping block.” He was addressing workers at Forest Reserve, Fyzabad, yesterday morning. Since the Prime Minister’s announcement that the company would be restructured, Roget has been mobilising workers at various Petrotrin installations.

He said yesterday that OWTU must play an integral part in the restructuring process and demanded that 800-plus vacancies be filled. Calling on members of the public to join with the union in solidarity, Roget added that once Petrotrin becomes viable and successful, it can contribute enormously to the national coffers and the quality of lives of citizens.

“If you give Petrotrin to those people who bill Petrotrin for oil they do not produce and who, even when they produce, sell Petrotrin back their own oil, that money goes into private bank accounts not into the account of the State,” Roget said adding when the State loses, citizens lose.