Chaguaramas dock workers protest over wage freeze

Thirty employees of Caribbean Dockyard and Engineering Services Ltd (CDESL) staged a heated protest outside the company's Chaguaramas compound on Thursday over delays in salary negotiations.

Speaking with Newsday, one worker said he was frustrated over repeated delays and called on the government to expedite the process to update workers' salaries.

"It's really frustrating that we have to find a way to live on 2006 salaries. We do a lot of dangerous work when it comes to repairs and maintenance of vessels, and our salaries simply don't reflect that.

"We need some kind of assurance that we are actually getting somewhere with upgrading our salaries."

Last year the Ministry of Finance acquired the dry-docking facility CL Marine and formed the state-owned National Marine and Maintenance Services Company Ltd.

Another worker said he was disappointed at the lack of communication with management and called for more consultation with the workers and the representative union the Seamen and Waterfront Workers' Trade Union (SWWTU).

The workers said they intended to continue protesting until their concerns were addressed.

Last July dock workers demonstrated for a wage increase they said was promised to them since 2014.