Industrial Court orders T&TEC workers back to work

T&TEC workers protest outside the commission’s head office, at the corner of Park and Frederick Streets, Port of Spain, on October 30. - Photo by Enrique Rupert

WORKERS of the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) have been directed to report immediately for duty as scheduled and to make themselves available for overtime if necessary.

The Industrial Court issued the orders  on December 16 as part of an injunction against the Oilfields Workers Trade Union (OWTU).

Court president Heather Seale and members Herbert Soverall and Michelle Ann Austin granted T&TEC’s amended application, initially filed on December 2, to address alleged unlawful industrial action by the union.

The order prohibits the OWTU, including its president, executives, and T&TEC members, from initiating or continuing any industrial action or withholding labour unlawfully. It also restricts union members from encouraging such activities. There was also a penalty clause attached to the order if it was not obeyed.

The injunction extends to all OWTU members employed by T&TEC and those within the bargaining unit represented by the union, and applies to the union’s leadership.

In its application, the company complained workers were not showing up for work and were refusing to work overtime.

The court instructed that the injunction be published for two weeks. T&TEC expressed optimism about OWTU’s co-operation in maintaining safe and reliable electricity services for customers.

Vanessa Gopaul and Tamilee Budhu represented T&TEC.Anthony Bullock and Imran Ali represented the OWTU.

In October, T&TEC applied for an injunction against the OWTU. However, the union gave an undertaking not to start, continue or take any industrial action whatsoever, or any other form of unlawful withholding of labour. It said it would immediately instruct members not to initiate or take part in any industrial action and report for their rostered duty as required, per the terms of their employment contracts and general law.

At the time, T&TEC expressed concern over statements by the union about “dark days” ahead.

It came a day after the OWTU led T&TEC workers in early-morning protests at facilities in Port-of-Spain, San Fernando, Point Lisas, Arima and Tobago.

The union maintained that the series of protest actions taken were workers exercising their right to peacefully picket the employer outside working hours, before work, during their lunchtime and after work. It said the protest did not hamper T&TEC operations or amount to the unlawful withdrawal of any labour.

“On every occasion, the union publicly advised the workers to return to work and not to disrupt the commission’s operations. The union gave an undertaking to the court that it will continue to advise the workers as it has done in the past not to initiate or partake in any industrial action and to report for their rostered duty as required,” the OWTU had said.