Rowley: Refinery sale not ‘rah-rah’

THE Prime Minister said government will only sign a contract for the sale of the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery once it is satisfied with the negotiations and if it is in the best interest of the public.

He advised the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) to put aside its “rah rah” style of negotiating and put on its corporate cap as this is a billion-dollar investment before them.

Prior to the election the union had demanded government sign the agreement with its fully owned subsidiary Patriotic Energies and Technologies Co Ltd, before August 10.

OWTU’s president general Ancel Roget, also accused the Rowley government of having a disinterest after it engaged the union only to secure votes. Dr Rowley in a wide-ranging interview on CNC3’s The Morning Brew on Wednesday, said, “This is corporate business.

“I hope the union could transition since they have indicated a willingness to get involved in this billion business, that they would make the transition from the ‘rah rah’ to sensible negotiations where both parties are served because the refinery, if it is restarted, will be in the national interest. It would be in the hands of the private sector and once it is operating, we are all better off if it is operating properly.

“If it never opens, well, then that’s a bad thing.” One of Patriotic’s directors Ozzi Warwick in response said, “We are of the view that raising legitimate issues is not ‘rah, rah, rah’. Maintaining an independent voice is not ‘rah, rah, rah.’

“We stand as an independent voice raising real issues of concern for ordinary working people and this is very critical for an active democracy. Therefore, we do not consider raising these type of issues and keeping our democracy alive is rah, rah.”

Rowley said the government has bent backwards to facilitate both the reopening and the union by giving it (Patriotic) a moratorium, when the agreement called for serious upfront cash requirements, but instead he was the subject of personal attacks.

“We don’t personalise these things. This is a public interest, billion-dollar investment. To tell me to sign because you want it by a certain date does not make any sense.”

“I trust that the union will understand that and this what they are doing is stepping out from the modus operandi of conducting union business where you shout at people, make accusations, march and placard.”

He advised, “Get away from that and look at the business you are involved in because that requires a certain decorum, a certain amount of behind-the-scenes confidentiality to negotiate and come to a position before you sign a contract. You don’t sign a contract because somebody wants a contract signed by a particular date. That is a recipe for disaster.”

He assured the acquisition will be dealt with very seriously by experts as there are serious consequences if the best deal is not signed. Rowley said the intention was to sign off on the agreement, but the negotiations were not completed in time and until the terms of the contract are acceptable to both parties,the negotiation continues.

“The bottom line is, before anybody acting on behalf of the public, sign that contract, the public interest would have to be served and the government has to be satisfied that the negotiation is completed.”

He said they are yet to arrive at this point. “That is where I am. Others could go on the streets and shout and make accusations, I am accustomed to accusations being made.”