Shipping lines are turning away from T&T as ongoing industrial action by workers continues at the Port of Port-of-Spain.
Yesterday, workers staged another protest, downing tools and halting port activities once again. The protest started a month ago.
Speaking to Guardian Media yesterday, Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan confirmed the action and also noted that shipping companies are not coming to Trinidad.
“While we don’t have specific figures yet, it’s clear that the ongoing situation at the port is impacting shipping lines. These large vessels don’t head directly to one destination—they stop at multiple ports along their route, each with carefully scheduled arrivals. They also need to account for changing tides, which adds to the complexity,” he said.
“Unfortunately, it seems like there’s a ‘Grinch’ at the port, threatening to disrupt Christmas preparations for Trinidad. However, I understand that the port management is making every effort to ensure that essential cargo arrives and is cleared promptly to minimise the impact.”
Sinanan also dismissed suggestions that there will be an increase in the cost of goods due to the delays. He said, “It doesn’t appear that cargo has been left sitting on the port yet or that delays have reached that extent. The real issue is with the timing of offloading when vessels arrive. If ships can’t unload promptly, that’s where problems arise, as shipping lines are unlikely to dock in Trinidad if delays mean waiting two or three days. Instead, they may divert to other ports to offload their cargo. It’s an unfortunate situation that underscores the impact of the ongoing disruptions.”
He noted that if the action was related to wage issues, it would be discussed at the level of the Chief Personnel Officer.
Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago Chairman Colonel (Ret’d) Lyle Alexander stated that while people came to work, they withheld their labour. He added that the only contingency plan is to have dialogue.
“The involvement of the defence forces was a one-time measure taken to address the situation at that moment. Beyond that, there’s no specific contingency in place, aside from appealing to workers’ goodwill to continue operations,” Alexander said.
Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union President General Michael Annisette described the workers’ action as a response to several issues at the port.
In a statement, the union head expressed deep concerns regarding the Port Authority of Trinidad and Tobago’s (PATT) failure to fulfil its obligations and commitments for upgrading certain roles, as previously discussed with the SWWTU.
The union head added that despite ongoing dialogue aimed at achieving a fair and collaborative resolution, they noted with dismay that the PATT has chosen to unilaterally implement a “disclosure form” for employees to sign prior to receiving their promotion notices.
The SWWTU executive is urging the PATT to cease such actions. The union head is also calling for a meeting with business stakeholders to share the challenges the workers are facing.
In response to the disruption, the president of the Association of T&T Hauliers Reza Ali described the situation as critical for its members, as they are now moving from one to zero containers from the port. He appealed for a swift resolution and a balanced compromise.
“A quick resolution would also help control costs. Right now, our ability to generate income is being severely impacted. Ultimately, any increase in costs on the shelf will depend on the decisions of importers, but from our side, the ongoing situation is already costing us significantly.”
Downtown Owners and Merchants Association president Gregory Aboud stated that the situation is affecting his membership and having a crippling effect on businesses expecting Christmas cargo.
He said, “The only solution is for the workers to get back to work. I urge Mr Annisette to encourage his team to return to work. This is a very serious situation, with vessels already bypassing Trinidad due to the uncertainty at the port. For these shipping companies, it’s no major loss—they’ve already received payment for the freight on board, so skipping Trinidad and moving on to another destination has minimal impact on them. However, when they bypass us, it also affects our export economy, as these vessels won’t be here to take on outbound goods,” Aboud said.