Roget uses the n-word for those joking about serious issues

PRESIDENT general of the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU) Ancel Roget compared people who turn serious issues to laughable matters to the "house negroes" on the plantations who did anything to please "Massa" during slavery.

He said workers are losing their jobs, people are being "butchered every day,", and the economy is failing, among other issues. None of them are laughable matters and to laugh at them is to make light of what are serious issues for TT.

"But they will have you laugh at yourselves to get away from focusing on what they supposed to do, the indignity we faced on the plantation and, with one or two of us the house n-----s, who were called to perform for Massa, to sing and joke for Massa, to pleasure Massa at the expense of what was happening on the plantation."

He made the comments yesterday at a press conference at the OWTU’s headquarters at Circular Road, San Fernando.

"Let the one per cent laugh, but the OWTU will continue to point them out. The time for laughing is done."

It seems there is a contest or an attempt by the Government to send home as many workers as possible before 2010, he said.

With the closure of Petrotrin’s Pointe-a-Pierre refinery on Friday, the replacement companies will see a selected number of highly paid people at the management level and many exploited workers, Roget said.

"It will be likened to modern-day slavery for yet another time. It is their belief that if they get the union out, they can wreak havoc, and that is what they will consider being profitable and successful."

When asked if the union will be representing workers of the new companies, he opted not to comment, saying one cannot remove the OWTU from oil and gas.

"It is like trying to remove the 'S' from Superman's chest," he said. "It is like trying to remove the white out of milk. The OWTU was born and bred in the oilfields and we will continue to stay in the oilfields."