No delays for Christmas barrels

Photo by Jeff Mayers
Photo by Jeff Mayers

PEOPLE can look forward to receiving their Christmas barrels of gifts and goodies as usual from relatives living abroad, says chairman of the Port Authority Lyle Alexander.

There were concerns that with workers at Port of Port of Spain protesting over work conditions and non-payment of a wage hike, there would be a disruption in operations over the Christmas season. It is at this time of the year that many locals anticipate gifts from “foreign.”

Port workers stayed off the job on Wednesday in a show of frustration that they had not yet received the 12 per cent pay increase agreed for the 2014-2017 period.

Alexander said there has been discussions with the union and the workers.

“I am at this stage not aware of any protracted action. Since the action took place, we have had discussions with them. We expect to have the ability to work through the season. As I am aware they should be out to work, I haven’t been told that they they are not. They were back out the first day.

“I walked around with the union on the port yesterday and looked at the operations and some of the issues that they have and we are working our way to settling them,” he said.

Alexander was unable to say what volume of containers came through the port at this time of the year.

Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan said the board was working with the workers to resolve whatever issues they may have.

“That is as much as I could comment at this stage.”

As to the number of barrels shipped during the holidays, Sinanan said he did not have those details.

“There are different agencies that handle that.

Those are dealt with at the different ports of entry, so I wouldn’t have that information offhand. They have different shipping lines that would bring in these barrels, which they would deliver to their port of call.”

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