Sinanan calls for 'maturity' in port negotiations

MINISTER of Works and Transport Rohan Sinanan has called for an end to protracted negotiations between the Port Authority and port workers, saying a resolution is crucial for the Port of Port of Spain to reach its full potential.

The line minister’s remarks follow a series of industrial actions that disrupted operations last year, only ceasing after the court granted an injunction.

He spoke at the unveiling of two new mobile scanners at the Port of Port of Spain on February 25.

“We need to put an end to the negotiations that are long overdue,” he said. “I am hoping that good sense can prevail and we can come to the table with mature solutions and suggestions.”

The minister believed the port could have achieved far more success in 2024 had there not been industrial action.

“The Port of Port of Spain should have broken the record for the (number) of containers passing through.

"But because of that two-month period where some vessels bypassed us, we were not able to reach the figures that would have shown that the economy is really a vibrant economy,” he said, adding that the Port of Port of Spain could surpass the Point Lisas port in performance.

The Point Lisas port was named joint winner of the Caribbean Shipping Association’s Ludlow Stewart Container Port Competition 2024, alongside Manzanillo International Terminal (MIT) of Panama.

“If we could get (the negotiations) out of the way, there’s no reason why the Port of Port of Spain in 2025 cannot take that title from the Port of Point Lisas as being the number one port in the Caribbean,” he said.

Addressing ongoing negotiations, Sinanan stressed the need for balanced discussions, suggesting workers and the union should be reasonable in their demands and expectations.

“The CPO (chief personnel officer) will put something forward. The unions will then negotiate. What I'm seeing is that we need to come together...The port cannot pay something that the port cannot afford. We want to settle these negotiations, but one party cannot just hold to a hard position and then we reach nowhere.”

On the new scanners, Sinanan did not anticipate significant resistance, despite past safety concerns raised by workers. He said it was important for collaboration and mature negotiations to ensure the continued growth of the port and the economy.