T&TEC workers protest in Trinidad and in Tobago

ELECTRICITY workers staged a series of simultaneous protest across the country on the morning of October 24, to drive home issues plaguing the company and its workers.

Workers pulled out their drums and other musical instruments and used their vocal cords to iterate their concerns at their workplaces in San Fernando, Tobago, Arima, Port of Spain and Central.

For half of an hour before the start of their 7 am shift, workers waved placards and chanted union songs to bring attention to their plight, A few minutes before the start of their workday, they packed up their protest equipment and made their way to work.

President general of the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU) Ancel Roget who joined aggrieved workers at the Cipero Street office, San Fernando, commended the workers for their diligence and discipline to give a fair day’s work in spite of challenges faced.

Roget said there were health and safety issues management refused to address, while workers sacrificed life and limb daily, working diligently to ensure a reliable supply of electricity to the country.

He made it clear that while an increase in salary was a necessity as wages were not raised since 2014, there were other critical issues facing workers.

Among them a shortage of staff, filling of vacancies with contracted workers, including retirees who are back on the payroll as contractors.

He pointed to a backlog of surveys and damaged appliances reports in the utilisation section, which he claimed is not properly staffed.

“Therefore, if you find that you make reports that your appliances have been damaged as a result of power surges and T&TEC is talking long to address it, it is as a result of that department not being properly staffed.”

Roget also alluded to delays in providing line extensions and transformers for paying customers also being due to a shortage of material and manpower.

Newsday requested a response from T&TEC to the claims being made by the union, but none was immediately forthcoming.

The story will be updated.