Lake Asphalt workers beg for the salaries outside the company’s offices on Tuesday
By Sue-Ann Wayow
AFTER weeks of begging by workers of Lake Asphalt Trinidad and Tobago (LATT), the Government has decided to expidiate a subvention to have their salaries paid.
“Pay we, we salary please,” was the cry of the workers on Tuesday. They made the plea on their knees outside the company’s building at Brighton, La Brea.
They asked Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley to intervene and allow payment to the workers who are deemed essential.
Spokesperson for the group Raeburn Noble pleaded, “All yuh call we, essential, all yuh bring we out during a pandemic. All yuh tell us work. Since May, June, all yuh pay we this week, all yuh pay we next week. It move from bad to worse. We begging, pay we, we salary please.”
Noble said for five weeks, persons working hourly, weekly and that workers who were supposed to be paid weekly have not been paid for the past five weeks.
The junior staff who are to be paid monthly, on or before the 25th of every month, they were not paid for August or September, he claimed.
He said in a zoom meeting with the company’s directors, workers were told there was no money to pay and that the directors were waiting on a subvention from the Government and workers continued to work in spite of no salary.
“The Board of Directors, the CEO are complaining that Government is taking too long to release the subvention so that we can be paid.”
Noble added, “Because they shame to say, they buss the business.
“We are asking Prime Minister Dr Rowley if you could use your office please to ensure that we at Lake Asphalt who worked for our monies already that we be paid.”
President of the Contractors and General Workers Trade Union Joseph Phillip told AZPNews.com at around 3pm on Tuesday that since the demonstration, the union received no response yet from any persons they had called upon to assist including the Member of Parliament for La Brea Stephen Mc Clashie.
He said the group of workers affected were spilt into two departments, production and engineering.
Those in the supervisory roles were the monthly paid workers and the others were the hourly/weekly paid workers.
He said, “We are hoping by this demonstration that we will get a response. Nobody is telling us anything and we hope to get answers.”
Member of Parliament for La Brea Stephen Mc Clashie told AZPNews.com that he was aware of the situation given that many of the workers were from the constituency. He admitted that while payments were being made, it was not consistent and he has been liaising with Lake Asphalt’s board concerning the situation.
Government will try to expedite subvention
In a media release from the Ministry of Energy on Tuesday, the Ministry stated that Lake Asphalt was not immune to the economic effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and confirmed that Cabinet approval for subventions was requested which was the second subvention for 2021 being requested to pay salaries.
The ministry stated, “The Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries personnel have communicated with the Ministry of Finance to prioritise the payment of the subvention.”
The ministry added that Government will be looking at ways in which Lake Asphalt can become self-sustainable as it cannot continue to depend on the national Treasury.
These plans will also be prioritised and Energy Minister Stuart Young is expected to make a proposal to Cabinet, the Energy Ministry stated.
AZPNews.com has also requested a response from Lake Asphalt.
