Ex-Lennox Petroleum workers protest at CEO’s house again

ONCE again, ex-Lennox Petroleum Services Ltd workers have staged a protest at the front of the home of the company’s CEO in Sumadh Gardens, Vistabella. They also did this last week.

Over the past month, these former employees have held protests over the company’s alleged refusal to pay over 300 people a total of US$9.6 million. The company has since called these statements “factually untrue,” and said a labour dispute litigation process is going on in the courts.

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

On Christmas morning, the protesters, who are members of the Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU), started to gather at the company’s headquarters at Princess Margaret Street, San Fernando before venturing to Vistabella. When they arrived at the CEO’s home, they quietly walked around in the road, waving flags.

But police soon arrived and warned the protesters if they did not stop and leave, they would be arrested. They began to press by continually asking, “What law are we breaking? This is the government road.”

Sgt Ali of the Marabella Police Station said, “This what you are doing here, you are not authorised to do. Especially where it’s concerning a person’s private residence.

“We may have to detain you all at the station. So I am asking very kindly, right? I understand your court order, I understand the instructions of the court. But here is not the place for that.”

Ex-worker Eric Wheeler said it was a “terrible thing” that they had to be protesting to get their own money.

“We ain’t come to do anything illegal. We have the right to use the government’s road. Nothing is happening and everything is falling on deaf ears. I fed up, the workers are fed up,” he said.