From Petrotrin to pressure

One day after its official shut down, former Petrotrin employees are attempting to make the transition back into the world of work.

For former temporary employee Khalifa Phillip this means having to work fourteen hours a day at two different jobs to pay her bills. Phillip, who was one month shy of completing 14 years’ service as a temporary employee, did not qualify for severance payments. She has not worked at the company since August 25, 2018.

“Nothing has changed, we have been ignored and are still being ignored.”

She said her last pay slip showed she would only be receiving a tax rebate while back pay remained outstanding.

“I received my tax rebate only, I am still waiting on back pay which I am entitled to. As it is now I am already working two jobs 14 hours a day because I have bills to pay. It was the first thing I could get, jobs where people are not unionised and get a salary but I have no choice.’

Meanwhile, a former permanent employee, who requested anonymity, said he had initially applied to Heritage Petroleum but had not been selected although he had 28 years’ service with Petrotrin.

“I had applied to the new company but was subsequently called by a contractor (name called) and we went through the process and (I was) given a three-month contract. I am now working for a contractor who would be doing work for Heritage.”

And what advice does he have for former employees.

“Don’t give up hope. If you look at history itself, when one door closes there is another opportunity available, you just have to grasp at whatever opportunity that exists. It may be that it encourages you to further develop yourself.”

And this is exactly what former Petrotrin estate constable Gabriel O’Souna is doing – taking courses to improve his marketability.

However, he said several workers have signalled their intention to initiate legal action against the company regarding their severance packages.

“Hopefully we will received our severance on Monday but definitely we will be seeking the advice of an attorney as of Monday and see what could come out of that because legal action is inevitable at this point. These people have been humiliating us and treating us as modern-day slaves and we cannot accept that.”

He said they had been given pay slips for their final salaries and back pay but that had not included severance payments.

“We haven’t seen the severance reflected in the payslips but, as they said, we must do our income tax returns before we receive severance.”

“I don’t understand how that works because the Severance Act is not subject to taxation according to the law, one thing has nothing to do with the other, why is it you must hold the severance to ransom.”

“We would have probably gotten our TD 4 probably in the same period you all announce the closure of Petrotrin so it is really untimely and unfair. I just think they playing games.”

The former estate constable said Amalgamated Security Services personnel would not last long as their staff had not been trained to operate in an oil refinery environment.

“They will not last long. Nobody would want to be in that environment for a period of time. You cannot stay in that refinery for more than eight hours at a time. Several studies have shown that it poses an undue risk to them so they are not going to last long, they will be hospitalised.”

He said although the refinery had been shut down, one of its successor company’s, Paria Fuel Trading Company would still be involved in the importation and blending of fuels for the local market.

“You still going to have blending that would take place, the octane rate that might be imported will be lower than what we use here and these fellas not trained to deal with that. You are going to get a high sick leave rate due to inhalation of the fumes.”

Meanwhile, an uneasy calm has descended at the now defunct Petrotrin’s Santa Flora headquarters after Friday evening’s protest action in which three large mobile rigs were used to block access to the industrial compound and a field road leading to a small village. Reports indicate that the rigs’ tyres were deflated and the fluid lines severed.

According to reports, workers had initially staged a peaceful sit-in demonstration at the compound on Friday evening after they were not paid their final month’s salaries and severance packages.

Petrotrin was officially shut down on November 30.

The sit-in action reportedly continued until 3 am when workers were informed that salary payments had been deposited into their respective bank accounts. However, that did not include severance payments.

OWTU chief education officer Ozzi Warwick said the workers had left the site although several had not yet received either their severance or salary payments.

“It’s a mixed bag, some people get some, people did not get, it’s really confusing. But I can confirm that people did not get their severance packages.”