Garbage-truck drivers turned away from dump

Can anyone imagine what their lives would be like if they lived with their garbage for two weeks?

This was the question asked by Robert Benacia, president of the Industrial General and Sanitation Workers Union.

“You just imagine TT not having somewhere to dump their garbage for two weeks. Tell me how important that will be. There will be corbeaux resting on everyone’s house, because every yard will smell like a dump.”

On Friday, a large group of Solid Waste Management Co Ltd (SWMCOL) workers protested in front of the gates of the Beetham dump. Several dump trucks had to make a U-turn with their loads.

One truck driver yelled at the protesters, “Allyuh would make me lose meh work this morning. Allyuh outside here and I can’t get to do my work. Look what I have to go through…That is torture for me, boy.

“Since last night I out here. I is a human being, boy. I can’t get to throw the rubbish. I have wife and children to take care of. When I take back the rubbish to my boss, I will lose my job.”

From 6.30 am, workers with placards called on the government and the heads of the Solid Waste Management Co Ltd (SWMCOL) to reinstate 21 workers laid off on October 2.

Speaking with Newsday, Benacia said successive governments continue to disrespect workers at the nation's dumps and the working conditions there are inhumane.

“Workers continue to risk their health and their lives daily, and the government does not seems to value the type of work the workers perform here, the importance of it toward saving the environment."

Benacia said the union considered the continued disrespect and lack of value for workers' health highly disrespectful. He said the matter must be addressed because retired sanitation workers didn't live more than five-ten years.

“This is due to the stuff they are exposed to inside the dump.

"The only thing that can protect workers is the introduction of the International Standards in Waste Management.

“As far as I am concerned, what is happening now is only lip service, and the only thing to protect the workers is introduction of those standards.

Benacia said the mud and dust which come off the landfill and are deposited across communities were very poisonous. Hazardous waste and chemicals blend with mud in the dump and the mixture is brought back out onto the roads on the tyres of trucks which goes to offload, and eventually blows away in the wind.

“We need the government of the day to get serious about waste management and stop poisoning the environment. We need the health and safety concerns to be addressed.

"We are also calling on the Minister of Finance Colm Imbert to meet with the Chief Personel Officer to complete our negotiations.

Several calls to Minister of Public Utilities Robert Le Hunte's cellphone went unanswered.