2007 - Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONSIn 2007, the industrial relations climate was relativelyunsettled compared with previous years. In the monthsleading up to the general elections of November 5,2007, many unions representing government workerspressed for the settlement of outstanding wage issues.Consequently, industrial unrest, which was mainlyconcentrated in the public sector, climaxed in thetwo months preceding the elections. More broadly,although unsatisfactory wage offers were a significantcause for work stoppages, the majority of the industrialaction was on account of the protracted nature of thenegotiation process between the trade unions and therespective employers. Some of the work stoppagesduring the year included:Energy• Petrotrin - Petrotrin workers engaged in protestaction over a range of issues, which included: (i)the filling of vacant positions; (ii) salary increasesand (iii) demands for improvement to health andsafety standards.• Petrochemicals - The Oilfield Workers Trade Union(OWTU) and the management of Yara TrinidadLimited failed to reach an agreement for thecollective bargaining period 2007-2010. The matterwas referred to the Ministry of Labour and Smalland Micro Enterprises for arbitration, promptingprotest action from the workers.Manufacturing• Iron and Steel – The Steel Workers Union ofTrinidad and Tobago, dissatisfied with the failureof Mittal Steel and the Government to introduceprofit sharing and to address Employee ShareOwnership Plan (ESOP) and health and safetyissues, led protests against the company.• Lake Asphalt Limited – Employees protested forhigher salaries and improved working conditions.• Trinidad and Tobago Offshore FabricatorsLimited (TOFCO) – Workers were dissatisfied withmanagement’s wage offer and stopped work forseveral days.• Citrus Growers Association (CGA) – Employees ofCGA, represented by the Transport & IndustrialWorkers Union (TIWU), protested for the completionof negotiations for a new agreement.Electricity & Water• Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission(T&TEC)/Powergen - Led by the OWTU, T&TECworkers engaged in protest action afternegotiations with management stalled forseveral months. Powergen workers also rejectedmanagement’s wage offer and picketedPowergen’s administrative offices on severaloccasions.• Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) - Monthlyand daily-paid WASA workers rejected a wageoffer on several occasions before settling later in2007.Storage, Communication and Transport• Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago - Port workersrepresented by the Seamen and WaterfrontWorkers Trade Union (SWWTU) stopped work forthree days to protest the failure of the Port Authorityto conclude a new collective agreement for theperiod 2005-2008.• Airports Authority - Air traffic controllers of theAirports Authority engaged in sick-out action toprotest the slow pace of negotiations with the CivilAviation Authority and to show their disagreementwith the results of a job evaluation exercise.29