The Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers’ Association (TTMA) says the recent industrial action by workers at the Port of Port-of-Spain will result in a close to one-month delay in retrieving goods from the port.
Last week, workers walked off the job at least twice in protest over a range of issues, including health and safety concerns and stalled wage negotiations, which disrupted operations.
In a release yesterday, the TTMA said the disruptions have left manufacturers, exporters and traders frustrated over the expected two-to-three-week delays because of workers engaging in “sick-out” action, which resulted in low worker turnout and downtime at the port.
“At this time, there are no current container vessel operations and no container terminal operations for the receipt and delivery of containers, a dire situation for manufacturers and traders,” the TTMA said.
The TTMA warned that if the situation is not addressed, it will lead to increased prices going into the Christmas and Carnival seasons, as the delay hampers the availability of raw materials required for production.
“TTMA is asking for intervention by the relevant authorities, including senior port managers and the Government, to intervene and have the matter resolved in a timely manner, as well as consider the waiving of port rent and demurrage incurred by affected businesses.”
The strike action last week was not the first for the year by port workers. Earlier this year, 1,000 workers walked off the job, giving port management seven days to address health and safety issues and agree to a 12 per cent wage increase.
The workers’ action mirrored a strike in the US where nearly 50,000 port workers downed tools, disrupting operations on the Eastern Seaboard and Gulf Coast ports. The stoppage affected the flow of imports and exports.
A trucker waits to enter the Port of Port-of-Spain yesterday. Photo taken by NICOLE DRAYTON
