Termination letters, sandwiches for Petrotrin workers

EVEN as Industrial Court judges reserved judgment until Monday, state-owned Petrotrin began distributing termination letters yesterday to its senior staff at the refinery in Pointe-a-Pierre yesterday.

It was a sombre moment, with worried looks on the faces of men and women after they opened their letters and walked back to their cars at the staff club.

Newsday was told by an attorney associated with the injunction on OWTU’s behalf that since Petrotrin did not issue letters to workers represented by the union, the company could not be held in contempt of court. However, he said, “In the spirit of the arguments put forward on behalf of the OWTU, Petrotrin should have not issued termination letters to any workers.”

As for the rest of Petrotrin’s workers, who are locked in a court battle for an injunction over the termination of the refinery and exploration employees who are members of the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union, letters of termination have been held back. Only staff who are members of the National Petrotroleum Staff Association were told to collect letters, giving them until December 1.

When contacted, company chairman Wilfred Espinet said he was busy in meetings and could not comment.

Yesterday staff were seen going into the club and leaving with white envelopes, and, though trays packed with sandwiches and drinks were being handed out, no one took any while Newsday was there between 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm.

One worker who emerged from the club and showed Newsday
his letter which thanked him for 17 years of service, revealed that he was offered $183,655.13, to be paid into his
bank account.

As he emerged, he slapped his letter against his hand in anger and confronted the Newsday team, saying, “Is the media does be saying a janitor working for $10,000.” Handing Newsday his letter, he said, “Read this. Every time I see a journalist I does feel to knock them in their head.”

His letter said, “We regret to advise that Petrotrin cannot afford to continue operating and in the circumstances, we hereby give you 90 days’ formal notice of termination. The company will pay you a termination payment utilising the formula for calculating severance pay as exists in the Memorandum of Agreement for National Petroleum Staff Association for the period 2009, for the sum of $183, 655.13.”

More than 200 people collected letters after the company issued an internal release yesterday to managerial staff, inviting collection at different times which began mid-morning and ended at about 3.30 pm.

Signed by Petrotrin’s executive director Reynold Ajodhasingh, the memo warned staff to observe appropriate behaviour so as to protect Petrotrin’s assets. It said, “Dishonest or illegal activities on company premises or while on company business, will not be condoned and can result in disciplinary action, including dismissal and criminal prosecution.”

It went on to further warn employees as they arrived on the premises yesterday to observe safety guidelines, because the safety and well-being of their fellow-employees, as well as the company’s property, were at stake.

On Tuesday night, the company said in a media release that a fire, oil spil and valves in four test tanks left open at its Central Los Bajos field were acts of sabotage. The release said, “Routine checks made by production personnel found a chemical shed on fire, an oil spill and the valves of four test-tanks opened at around 11.45 pm Tuesday.”