(Trinidad Express) Businessmen are bracing for massive losses over the upcoming Christmas season after the continued stand-off between union and management left the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago crippled for four days.
With over 4,000 containers at a standstill, Downtown Owners and Merchants Association (DOMA) head Gregory Aboud described the situation as a “hostile” attack on the business community.
“It is an understatement to say that this situation is a catastrophe,” Aboud said in a telephone interview yesterday.
Aboud said the demurrage on stalled containers cost businessmen as much as TT$1,000 a day and with 4,000 containers still to be cleared, businessmen were looking at almost TT$4 million in daily losses.
“This situation now is like an upper-cut after a tough bout,” he said.
With businessmen facing these crippling losses, Aboud feared it would create more disharmony between business and unions.
“It will create a further separation between all the parties and especially among those in the business community who are made to suffer at this crucial time,” he said.
He is also warning the striking workers that once this situation is settled, they may find themselves “irrelevant to the equation”.
“We have travelled far and carried the heavy burden of the inefficiencies and unreliability of the Port operations. It is time for us to think of a solution. When there are big problems, we need big solutions,” he said.
Aboud said it was a well-known fact that even under “normal conditions and if everyone reports to work” the Port was considered inefficient.
Aboud said Christmas sales and goods were already lost.
“Even if they resume operations immediately, in this current scenario, some cargo may not return to this Port for several weeks,” he said.
He said it was time to consider alternative arrangements to circumvent the continued inefficiencies at the port.
“Several shipping lines want to set up privately owned ports for operations,” he said.
Michael Annisette, head of the SWWTU, said he was preventing this action by port workers for over 40 months. He said on Friday he was told the workers were frustrated and would start withholding their labour.
He said he met with management until 4 a.m. on Sunday morning with no resolution.
“Negotiations broke down, but I have spoken to the Minister of Transport and he intervened,” Annisette said in a telephone interview yesterday.
Annisette said there was no wage offer on the negotiating table just yet.
“I know how volatile this situation is. I am painfully aware of how important the port operations are to the country,” he said.
“But you have to have a satisfied workforce,” he said.
“I’m trying to say and like the Government not understanding the mass majority of people demanding more than the five per cent. The new attitude of the frustrated workers has me worried,” Annisette said.
He said he was told if the Government offered more than five per cent, it would compromise its agreement with fellow trade union leader Watson Duke.
“What Duke have to do with this?” he asked.
Transport Minister Devant Maharaj said he spoke to both negotiating parties and they agreed to re-visit the negotiating table.
He said if the parties needed him to intervene or help with policy changes, he was always available.
