Port-of-Spain: There has been protest action by estate police officers at the Port Authority this morning over salary negotiations and the Estate Police Association is warning of delays in clearing goods from the port.
First Vice-President of the Estate Police Association Curtis Robertson says the protest is as a result of a breakdown in negotiations for salaries between 2008 and 2011.
Robertson says the association sent proposals to the Chief Personnel Officer without any favourable response and he says enough is enough.
He says the association has looked at how quickly the CPO addressed the concerns of the Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union and believes that they deserve the same treatment.
He says there is 90 percent absenteeism on the port and that the inter-island ferry sailed this morning without any estate police on board.
Robertson says customers and businessmen who use the port will be disrupted and that the public can expect to see a pile-up on the port from today.
He says they will continue their protest until they get a result from the CPO.
Meanwhile the Ministry of Transport says that Minister Devant Maharaj held discussions with the chairman of Port Authority Joseph Toney this morning to review the collective bargaining agreement and re-open negotiations after the estate police voiced their concerns.
The Ministry has confirmed that of the 54 estate police officers that were supposed to assume duty 34 withdrew their services.
A statement from the Ministry says that the chairman has instructed management to address his concern immediately and that they are seeking further guidelines from the CPO.
The statement adds that the chairman is hopeful the response from the CPO’s office is equally swift and that the matter can be settled without delay given the critical role the Port of Port of Spain plays with the nation's economy.
It says that Minister Maharaj will continue to monitor the progress of the negotiations so as to ensure that the business community and the other stakeholders of the patt do not suffer as a result of any action at the port.
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