Jesse Ramdeo
Employees of the Telecommunication Services of Trinidad and Tobago (TSTT), who, despite being handed their retrenchment letters on Tuesday, opted to show up at their workplaceon Wednesday, in accordance with a court order, were shut out over alleged fears by the company of internal vandalism.
A ruling by Industrial Court president Deborah Thomas-Felix on Tuesday handed 376 workers represented by the Communication Workers’ Union a lifeline by permitting them access to their workplace, as they were instructed to retain their terms and conditions of their employment before they were handed their retrenchment letters.
However, CWU secretary-general Clyde Elder explained that those who turned up on TSTT premises were turned back.
In an interview with Guardian Media, Elder said, “Lawyers of TSTT had indicated that if people reported for work, they were fearful of incidents of sabotage even though there was no evidence. There were some employees who attempted to come to work today (yesterday) and they were denied entry onto the compound by their managers. They were told they will not be allowed on the compound, that basically there’s nothing for them to do.”
Elder said after being left disconnected from TSTT, employees were grappling with uncertainty.
“The workers are very much demotivated, they are disenchanted, they are dejected, they are angry in some instances,” he said.
Last month, Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales confirmed that TSTT was hit by a cybersecurity attack that was directed at a number of the company’s internal-only solutions/applications.
Tuesday’s retrenchment of 468 workers followed the termination of 503 workers back in 2018.
On both occasions, TSTT cited the need for organisational transformation for profitability as the cause for the retrenchment exercises.
With just under 1,000 workers cut in four years, Elder said he suspected more would follow.
“Maybe about 500 or 600 employees still remain at the company and I’m speaking about total employees from very high management to low down to the last junior staff. Those persons are doing the job of 2,500 and what is happening, those persons will find it hard to cope and execute functions that they need to execute with more staff and when it cannot be done, it will be contracted out and make a case for further downsizing,” he said.
According to Elder, there appeared to be a deliberate attempt to stamp out the company.
“The company and the Government’s strategic goal in all of this is to decimate TSTT, to get rid of TSTT and by doing that, you get rid of the Communication Workers’ Union and you get rid of decent-paying jobs and you give all of those services to Amplia. You will hear Government is going to sell all of its shares or some of its shares and have gotten a buyer for Cable and Wireless shares, that is all part of decimating the company,” he said.
However, the union boss has assured that the voice of the impacted employees will be heard.
He said, “We have requested permission from the police to march from TSTT’s office on Henry Street to parliament Friday from 10. We expect all the employees served with retrenchment notices, all of the retirees who are still owed money, all of the retrenched workers from 2018 who are still owed money, all the employees currently working at TSTT now and still owed money, we expect all of them to come.”
Several attempts were made to contact TSTT CEO Lisa Agard for a response to Elder’s claims.
However, in a response to the claim that workers were denied access to their workplaces on Wednesday, TSTT communications manager Jannelle David said, “No individual represented by the Communications Workers Union was denied access to any TSTT building.”
