‘I will reopen refinery’

Opposition leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar has questioned whether the proposed transaction between Government and Patriotic Energies and Technologies Co Ltd is just a sham.

“Is a charade being perpetrated on the public,” she asked, “to aid the Rowley regime in the two upcoming elections, while simultaneously allowing Ancel Roget and David Abdulah to evade questions on their failure to protect Petrotrin workers?”

Last month, the OWTU’s Patriotic Energies acquired the Petrotrin refinery from Government with a bid of US$700 million ($4.76 billion).

On Monday, attorney and former UNC senator Wayne Sturge filed an injunction to prevent Government from making any further decisions on the sale of the refinery until the matter was determined by a parliamentary committee. The court hearing on this matter takes place today.

In a release yesterday, Persad-Bissessar said the entire affair now seems to be an orchestrated attempt to save the necks of the Prime Minister, OWTU president Ancel Roget and Movement for Social Justice leader Abdulah.

She claimed fired Petrotrin workers are seeking her help as they no longer have faith in the government or the OWTU.

“The Rowley regime, Ancel Roget and David Abdulah have already conned the Petrotrin workers once. The UNC and I will not allow them to do it again,” she declared.

She asked Roget and Abdulah who was lending them $4.55 billion to buy the refinery, and $2.5 billion to refurbish it. She further asked, since the assets of the refinery were encumbered, what collateral would be used?

“Is Patriotic unable to raise the funding and is, therefore, looking for a scapegoat in the UNC to blame for their failure? Why did Roget and Abdulah fail to save the jobs of Petrotrin workers despite knowing in advance of the closure? They did nothing to protect the workers.”

She asked why there was no ultimatum to the Rowley regime when over 63,000 workers from several companies lost their jobs, yet the UNC is continually attacked.

“We call on these three parties to come clean and tell the population the details of this deal, if there are any details, and to stop further traumatising the Petrotrin workers with their lies and failures.”

“The UNC and I will not allow the Rowley regime or the Roget and Abdulah tandem to play more games with Petrotrin workers. When this sham deal falls apart, and the details emerge, the only persons who will suffer are the workers. I call on the workers to stay strong; the UNC will reopen the refinery and get TT working again.”