The Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union said it has received information that the Chairman and one Commissioner from the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) have stepped down.
The statement comes after the union held two separate protests in the capital on Wednesday, calling for the resignations of the T&TEC Board and an Industrial Court judge.
It was a day of ‘sparks and slogans’ as the union lit up the streets of Port of Spain, somewhat differently from how it’s done by T&TEC.
Just outside the main office along Park Street in the capital, workers and the union said the resignation of the Board at T&TEC is at the top of their agenda.
The OWTU’s Second Vice-President, Reesa Ramlogan-Jodha, accused the Board of obstructing progress under the new administration, calling for them to be “unplugged from power.”
“We voted out the last administration, the Board, and what we voted in was a new administration, and what we expect to see in T&TEC is a new Board who can carry out the policies and the mandate of the new administration. And the last Board really and truly did nothing to improve the lives of the workers of T&TEC.”
The union said they’re also hopeful many of the present issues will be addressed if a new Board is in place.
“We would have gotten information that the Chairman and one Commissioner did the principled thing and stepped down. We had our pension plan management committee just yesterday, and when we asked about the absence of the Board, the General Manager’s response was, ‘I’m unable to say because I’m uncertain.’ You are the General Manager of T&TEC.”
Ms. Ramlogan-Jodha agreed with the statement from Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar that Boards traditionally step down following an election.
“In T&TEC, in the past, not too long ago, we would have gone without a Board for about five months, five, six months. Right? So it’s not that in the absence of a Board, T&TEC can’t function. We know what we have to do. The problem that takes place is that the executive management is uncertain as to which master they are to serve.”
They also called for the resignation of T&TEC’s Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), noting that the office has failed in its duty to some 2,000-plus workers.
Ms. Ramlogan-Jodha noted that the union was willing to work with the CHRO, but admitted that there was no improvement after some time.
“But in this situation, if you have a CHRO who is not meeting with the union, then what you are doing is you are curtailing the entire process.”
The CHRO was also criticised for constant delays in treating with the workers.
“There has not been even a response. At the negotiation table in 2023, when we were face to face, she committed to treating with this issue, and to date, despite reminders from the union, that has not been the case. We’re seeing issues of ill-health retirement.”
In a separate protest just outside the Industrial Court on Wednesday, the OWTU gathered to again call for the resignation of Judge Larry Achong, accusing him of being biased.
One worker said, “This is from the Court of Appeal overturning a judgment that he would have given to T&TEC workers in a judgment of 0-0-0. And the Court of Appeal had to overturn that, talking about Mr. Achong’s unbiasedness to the union. And that is what we would like to share in the document that you speak about.”
He said the OWTU intends to intensify its actions.