Petrotrin’s fate to be made known today

SPECULATION about retrenchment of workers may or may not become a reality, as the future of state-owned oil company Petrotrin is expected to be made known today.

Details of the proposal to restructure the company are expected to be revealed after a crucial meeting between members of the Petrotrin board and the Oilfields Workers Trade Union (OWTU).

The meeting will be held this morning at Petrotrin’s compound in Pointe-a-Pierre. Union representatives said yesterday, they were left in the dark as it relates to the logistics of the meeting and could only hope for the best. OWTU’s education and research officer, Ozzi Warwick, said there can only be two outcomes.

“Our concern is that this meeting could be intended to announce to the union that this is the decision taken by the cabinet or this a meeting for a genuine engagement and dialogue with the union, bringing back to life the memorandum of agreement.”

Speaking with Newsday, Warwick said it cannot be that this country has reached a point where you can have a board and a union signing a memorandum of agreement, and everyone just ignores it.

That, he said, is a recipe for anarchy and chaos.

“But we will find out today what they are going to do to the detriment of Petrotrin.”

Speaking during a programme on Radio I95.5 FM, Warwick accused the government of perpetrating lies and withholding certain facts from the nation about Petrotrin. He reiterated calls for a public inquiry.

“The country deserves to hear the whole Petrotrin story.” He said, in 2008 under the late Patrick Manning administration and then under prime minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, the union had also, on two occasions, called for a public inquiry. “The lies must stop.”

He said Petrotrin is one of the most important state enterprises in the country and will not be given away because of the interest of a small elite group.

Energy Minister, Franklin Khan, in an interview, said today’s meeting would outline the company’s restructuring plan and the way forward.

He said he believes government has the political will to turn Petrotrin around through the board.

The minister had also said Petrotrin was facing a black hole, and to keep the refinery running 110 thousand barrels of oil would have to be imported per day.

He said the company could bankrupt TT if it is not restructured.

After the meeting OWTU president general Ancel Roget is expected to address workers at 3 pm at the Pointe-a-Pierre roundabout.