Court grants injunction against TSTT

THE Industrial Court yesterday granted an injunction against state owned Telecommunications Services of TT (TSTT). The injunction was granted against the background of claims of impending job cuts by the Communications Workers Union (CWU). The hearing of the substantive matter will be heard by the court on November 28. Speaking with reporters after the ruling, CWU general secretary Clyde Elder said the union was pleased with the outcome.

He said this action stemmed from a September 25 email issued by TSTT which said all its residential customers are being sent to Amplia. Elder said the CWU would not be surprised if TSTT tried to appeal the court’s decision, similar to what Petrotrin did. He claimed that what is happening at TSTT is “the carbon copy of Petrotrin.”Elder also alleged that the ruling People’s National Movement is “hell bent on destroying labour” and is getting help from the employer class.

Elder said the union never said there would be retrenchment of workers from TSTT on Monday. He added that workers could be transferred to Amplia. Elder said while Amplia is owned by TSTT, there remains uncertainty about its role within the TSTT Group. In a statement earlier this month, TSTT dismissed claims on social media that Amplia was formed to buy Bmobile from it. “Amplia does not have either a wireless or mobile concession to legally operate any of those lines of business and there are no pending applications with the regulator, the Telecommunication Authority of TT ,” TSTT said.