THE OWTU AND GEORGE WEEKES I KNEW :

The year 2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of George Weekes, the trade unionist who, probably, did the most to uplift the material conditions of workers, oilworkers in particular. He gave them confidence that they were entitled to the benefits of modern civilisation and made it an article of faith that the working class must and will hold the reins of power.

To mark this important milestone and to re-introduce George Weekes to a new generation of working people, we will publish and re-publish a series of articles over the upcoming months exploring the man in the context of his time and the historical legacy he has left.

We publish Part Three of a three part article by Ashton Harrilal, a retired electrical supervisor at the then T&TEC, now Powergen Penal Power Station. He was the OWTU Branch Secretary and Monthly Paid Shop Steward for the OWTU T&TEC Penal Branch and served on the OWTU General Council for many years. Parts one and two can be accessed here and here.

January 2nd 1981 started with T&TEC Management accusing the workers of taking Industrial action resulting in black outs and load shedding. I was part of the Union Team with PG Weekes meeting with the T&TEC Board and Management at Paramount Building. We were in battle for better working hours for Shift Workers. The Company had locked out its Operating staff at Penal and Point Lisas. The next day January 3^rd was our General Council Meeting PG Weekes and some Comrades from T&TEC addressed the Council with updates. The Council pledged full support to T&TEC workers and called on the Company to immediately resolve the matter and allow the Operators to return to their jobs. The struggle went on for several months.

The then General Manager L.C.C. Martin publicly said that he would, if necessary, advertise for staff overseas both in the USA and Britain to operate and train new local staff to operate the Power Stations. Why USA and Britain? Generating power plants were made in both countries. (See Guardian and Express newspapers Oct 27^th 1982.)

Throughout 1981 and into 1982 the Industrial Relations atmosphere at T&TEC was rough. T&TEC Management with its Ken Julien Board backing was very hostile to the workers.

We were in our Fifth Negotiation 1982 – 1984. Customers i.e. Industrial, Commercial and Domestic grew at a rapid pace in T&TEC. At Penal Power Station a New Combined Cycle Plant was commissioned in 1982. Lots of activities for both the Commission and the Union.

Interestingly, our wages and salaries were below par with Oil workers and we felt that we deserved better. At a meeting with branch officers, PG Weekes was mandated to head the meetings with T&TEC Management, the Board and the Ministry of Labour. The mettle of PG Weekes was evident and he was ably assisted by seasoned T&TEC branch officers who at every turn were on top of the game.

DISMISSALS AND SUSPENSIONS

October 20^th 1982: Management at the Port of Spain B Power Station dismissed seven (7) workers for gross absenteeism. Workers at all T&TEC areas responded the way we knew best. Prime Minister George Chambers’ Cabinet held an emergency meeting in Sangre Grande, Public Utilities Minister John Eckstein thereafter said that T&TEC Management was directed to take a series of actions aimed at bringing the situation under control.

That same night at Riverside Plaza (Ministry of Labour) Labour Leaders and the Minister of Labour were in meeting. October 25^th 1982 at Penal Power Station the Plant Superintendent suspended eight supervisors for “failing to give instructions to the workers under their charge.” PG Weekes was leading meetings with the Commission, Minister of Labour etc, Vice President Errol McLeod was leading the struggles on the outside.

Well, all hell broke loose! T&TEC had to resort to load shedding due to minimal staff to operate and maintain the plants. Shift, Maintenance and Office workers responded in synchronism. Police and Army with their artillery were busy at all T&TEC areas. At Penal our meeting/camping place was the Sports Club. The Army entered the Sports Club to set up camp with their guns and ammunition. We successfully got them to vacate the building; we were legitimate members of the Club house and insisted that they could not stay there with their guns and ammunition. The then set up camp at the Power Station. Police swarming the place too. Regular meetings would continue at various levels with the Union. While the workers continued the struggle.

Eventually the dismissals/suspensions withdrawn and things were normalised. After the dust settled, PG Weekes summoned four of us branch officers to his office. Well we were anxious to see the PG and, like school children, we were hoping to get the thumbs up for our actions that resulted in our suspension. Well we were in for a shocker. PG Weekes gave us a good verbal lashing for taking action at Penal Power Station without consulting the Union’s Executive. We learned a lot from that episode. Throughout the struggles PG Weekes stood up and defended us against the Commission and the State. We were not even aware he was not pleased with the way we dealt with things resulting in us being suspended.

With the advent of modern technologies of Plant and Equipment, workers had to learn and adjust to the heavy demands in the Industry. Shift workers were demanding better working hours and a better shift system. The management was not open to meaningful dialogue; instead they were adamant in maintaining the old outdated shift rosters. The then Port of Spain Plant Superintendent was very upset about the overtime cost. All kind of Shift rosters were presented to Management with no acceptance.

One faithful night in 1975 a shift operator Billy Ablack wrote up a shift roster on the Shift Engineer’s black board. Next morning the Shift Engineer saw the roster and found it to be the best formula at that time.

The then Plant Superintendent and that Shift Charge Engineer were never on good terms, so the Superintendent would hold the shortest of meetings in his office with that Engineer. The Shift Engineer later that evening presented the Shift Roster to his Boss who just scanned it through and put his signature to it. It was a one 7 to 3; one 3 to 11 and one 11 to 7 with two days off. Unknowing to Senior Management and the Union, the new Roster was put into effect at the Port of Spain Power station.

The previous roster at the three power stations was 2 daylight shifts followed by two evenings shifts then two night shifts followed by two off days. That new roster one daylight, one evening, one night and two days off went on at Port of Spain plant for a long time. Penal and Point Lisas Shift workers were working the 2x2x2 with 2 days off. Until they decided that the Port of Spain shift roster would be put into effect at both Penal and Point Lisas.

Negotiations on the matter went on without success. References from extracts of an ILO booklet entitled “Making Work More Human” was put forward by the Union but Management was not budging. Eventually the matter was resolved by the intervention of the Industrial Court.

After PG Weekes retired most of us would stay on with incoming President General Errol McLeod. I had a very good working relationship with him. He would engage me in most of T&TEC and Powergen matters. A well-kept secret was a proposal McLeod presented to me: an offer most men would go on their knees and accept. He held me in high esteem and he had regular one on one conversations with me on many matters.

President General Errol McLeod did achieve a lot for the general membership. To err is human and he was no exception. On his retirement, I think he had made a very fundamental error that caused the Union, the workers and the country some consequences. Eventually most of us getting near retirement age would let new younger charges take on the responsibilities. Succession planning? Maybe!

PEE GEE'S PASSING

PG Weekes’ funeral service was held at the Anglican Church on Harris Promenade in San Fernando. The feeling of a great loss overcame me. Reverend Knolly Clarke who was always a great supporter to PG Weekes and the OWTU did the funeral service. I recall A N R Robinson speaking at the service. Thereafter he was cremated at the St James Crematorium.

My personal view is that over the years due to the achievements of better working conditions, better wages/salaries workers enjoyed by the hard fought battles of the OWTU, those achievements/benefits became very challenging for the very OWTU. I recall that in the early 1970’s for General Council meetings there were about a dozen vehicles in the car park. Most workers would be travelling.

In a few short years thereafter, cars filled the cark park and the roadway at the front of the building. In the late 1990’s or so the working class consciousness began to fade. Workers would stray from their class identity and eventually the difficulty to maintain a vibrant cadre of working class soldiers was a challenge. Sadly, but not surprisingly, many factors would have weakened the once powerful OWTU. The membership has dwindled to a mere one third of 1970’s /mid 1980’s. Hopefully, with the recycling of hard times and with a new and aggressive leadership, workers will rebound and rebuild the Trade Union movement in general.

A Pundit once said that many young Hindu children are moving away to other religious organisations. A very reasonable response to that was, the children are not to be blamed. The Leadership or lack of same by Parents and Pundits are responsible for the guidance of the child. So generally, Leadership or the lack thereof will either bring about success or failure.

Workers who know where we were, what we achieved and where we are at, must be presently very saddened. Most of what were struggled for has started to gradually erode. Contractors are taking over major jobs that were usually done by regular workers. Union Officials are not visiting workplaces and addressing workers. Some employers are not paying workers NIS contributions. The conversations have taken a turn into business management.

The Legendary PG George Weekes was a father figure to many youths of the 1970’s. We, who joined in the struggles under his leadership, would attest to that. He was the “General” throughout the region and had the OWTU as the Leading Trade Union Movement in the Caribbean during his reign.

PG Weekes will never be forgotten for his self-sacrifice and the struggles he led and endured for workers. May history be kind to his legacy and his name live on forever.