Lennox Petroleum protest resumes in San Fernando

The management of Lennox Petroleum Services Ltd (LPSL) has called on former workers to immediately "cease and desist" their ongoing protests, which the company considers illegal.

The call came on Thursday, when ex-workers simultaneously staged their latest protest outside LPSL at Princess Margaret Street in San Fernando from 10 am.

For the past few weeks, the ex-workers, who are members of the Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU), have been accusing LPSL of failing to pay outstanding payments.

Protesters told the media that LPSL owes them about US$9.5 million. The company called these statements "factually untrue."

Alabour dispute litigation process is going on in the courts, the release said on Thursday.

LPSL said its legal team has taken concrete steps to resolve the dispute amicably, and under the guise of forcing a meeting with the company, the ongoing protests are disingenuous, considering LPSL’s legal team offered to meet with the OWTU.

Its legal team has applied to the court for clarification of the sums owed under the order, it said, "since LPSL will have no way to recover any monies if individual workers are overpaid."

The release said the widely publicised protests at its offices, as well as the private residences of two staff members, are of great concern.

Last week Thursday, the group protested outside the home of LPSL’s CEO Wayne Persad at Vistabella.

"This form of intimidation and harassment is no way to resolve the said labour dispute in an amicable manner," the release said. "Furthermore, the protesters who showed up at the family residence of our LPSL female staff member (who was at work at the time), only served to intimidate and make her family in fear for their lives."

The protesters's actions towards LPSL’s staff and their respective families are completely unjustified and the protesters are aware that the CEO is not in the jurisdiction, it said.

The release also accused the OWTU of failing to present any evidence before the court to determine the specific workers to whom the judgment relates, the amount owed, and the specific period for which the workers are claiming interest.

LPSL said it had written to the OWTU in good faith, in a letter dated December 8.

"The letter was a request for a meeting facilitated by an Industrial Court judge (conciliation)," the release said. "To date, LPSL has received neither a formal response to the letter, nor a request to meet with the OWTU, under the supervision of an appointed Industrial Court official."

LPSL formally requested a meeting with the OWTU via e-mail and a letter it said was also hand-delivered at the union's headquarters.

But it said to date, the OWTU has not responded to multiple requests by the LPSL legal team for a formal in-person meeting.

"TT law prescribes means for the enforcement of judgments that are not paid,"the release said.

"Thus, failure by the OWTU to put before the court the amounts which they claim to be owed, in the court order dated July 8, 2020, cannot be enforced by the proper legal means."

On Thursday, relatives, including children, joined the ex-workers in the protest. OWTU's chief labour relations officer and spokesman Lindon Mendoza said the protest was in pursuit of justice for the affected ex-workers. Relatives joined in to create awareness so the public would see that the issue is a real one that has an impact on families' lives and by extension communities, Mendoza said.

"The case went to court and the court ruled that LPSL should have paid the money by September 30. The company made an unsuccessful appeal for a stay of execution of the payment, which was delivered on November 23," Mendoza told reporters.

"From then to now, the company has still failed to pay the workers. We want the nation to see the impact and the suffering that is brought against individual workers and their families."

Mendoza also threw jabs at the authorities, saying they have not intervened.

"There a deafening silence from the authorities. We are not hearing anything from the Minister of Labour, from the Minister of National Security, from the Prime Minister," Mendoza said.

He charged that when workers are being taken advantage of, other Caribbean leaders come out and make strong statements in support of the working class.

"But in TT, there is a deafening silence from our leaders," Mendoza said.

"We are calling on the authorities to come out and make a statement, come out in support and see what can be done from a political point of view to assist these workers in their time of need."