OWTU: Don’t try to blame Patriotic for refinery deal delay

THE Oilfields Workers Trade Union (OWTU) and the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ) were disappointed by how Finance Minister Colm Imbert addressed the refinery deal in his budget presentation. They say he seems to be blaming Patriotic Energies and Technologies for the delay when they have been appealing for the closure of the deal for months.

During his presentation in Parliament on Monday afternoon, Imbert said the Patriotic has until October 31 to reach an agreement on the sale of the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery.

He said, “With Heritage Petroleum Ltd focusing on ramping up oil production in a cost-effective manner, the government is currently engaged in protracted discussions and discussions with Patriotic, with a view to satisfyingly concluding the conclusion of a sale and purchase agreement of the Pointe-a-Pierre in the interest of all concerned, in particular – the public interest.”

But he said if a viable or practical agreement cannot be reached by then after giving Patriotic “all possible opportunities to finalise the terms of the agreement,” the deal will be off and the government will consider “other options.”

The OWTU has been asking for the deal to be signed off since July. OWTU president Ancel Roget had even asked for the deal to be closed before the August 10 general election.

In November, the Prime Minister had described the arrangement as a “beacon of hope” for the people of TT. Speaking with Newsday on Monday afternoon, OWTU general Secretary Ozzi Warwick said “It cannot be a Patriotic issue.

“Back in August, comrade Roget was already indicating we were ready and wanted to close the process by election. And I would like to remind you what the Minister of Energy said. He said they will not be bullied.

“So how he could say they won’t be bullied in August, but now they making it sound as though it is a Patriotic issue. If they are having some challenges, then they need to say so. We are ready and we have been ready since before elections. There is no other option.”

He believes there is a disconnect between policymakers “and the material conditions of ordinary-working people on the ground.” MSJ leader David Abdulah shared similar sentiments saying it was “unfair” to suggest Patriotic was to be blamed. “Who is keeping it back? The government is trying to suggest Patriotic, and I don’t know that to be the case. The issue is really the confusion of what are the problems in concluding the sale.”

National Trade Union Centre of Trinidad and Tobago (NATUC) general secretary Michael Annisette told Newsday while he cannot speak for the OWTU, he said the agreement is “an opportunity to demonstrate that local people can and will be able to operate industries.

“It will be an opportunity for us as a people to own a big chunk of part of our economy. So every effort should be made to ensure we enter a reasonable deal.”

He added, “One has to remember that the government came out of the deal with the basis that Petrotrin was losing money. So then if we understand that, well then if Petrotrin can be restructured like all the reports say, then it is an opportunity for the OWTU and the working class to show we have the ability.” He said the budget was one of “economics and numbers” and not people-centred.