Peon must go!
By Leiselle Maraj and Laurel V Williams
Saturday, February 9 2008
Trinidad & Tobago NewsdayScores of TSTT employees staged demonstrations in Port-of-Spain and San Fernando yesterday to demand the resignation of Mexican CEO Roberto Peon and the settlement of the negotiations for the 2005-2007 collective agreement.
Carrying placards, some with unflattering messages about the TSTT management, the employees marched outside TSTT’s offices at Edward Street and Independence Square in Port-of-Spain and Library Corner in San Fernando.
The protests, which began shortly after 11 am at all locations, stemmed from Peon’s response to an employee’s emailed complaint that TSTT Carnival T-shirts had not been printed and distributed to staff this year.
The employee complained that T-shirts, bandannas and hats were distributed to members of the public at the bmobile-sponsored five-day concert series, Soca in B Square in Trinidad and Tobago, but TSTT staff got nothing. The employee also lamented that the company did not inform staff that there would be no T-shirts.
Peon, in response, wrote “Who is this fool?” and mistakenly sent it to the employee. After reports of the response surfaced, the CEO issued a personal apology to the employee, TSTT staff as well as a public apology in the daily newspapers. Peon’s apology has not been accepted, however by the protesting workers. “While he apologised, it is too late. We want him to resign now.
They tried to down play this issue but we deserve respect, ” Communication Workers Union (CWU) vice-president, Clyde Elder said yesterday, as he held a copy of the e-mail, during the noisy demonstration in San Fernando. Several of the San Fernando workers carried placards which read: “TSTT workers are fools.” In Port-of-Spain, CWU president John Julian said the e-mail incident showed that Peon and the TSTT management do not have the employees’ interests at heart. “It goes beyond getting a jersey for Carnival,” he said, “It is disrespect shown toward staff and the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.”
He added that the union is also demanding that the company settles ongoing negotiations. “Management is refusing to pay salaries agreed on in December that is a 15 percent increase after consolidation of COLA. We are not getting any allowances agreed on, no COLA and no increase and if this company is state owned then it is the Prime Minister who is refusing to pay the workers,” he said.
Julian said if demands are not met protest action will continue and may escalate.
TSTT vice-president of human resources and administration, Edgill Messiah immediately responded to the union’s grievances stating that the company has accepted Peon’s apology. He said, “If a person in this organisation makes a mistake once, we give them a warning, it does not warrant their resignation. Mr Peon’s statement was not meant to be disrespectful, but it was an emotional response.”
He added that although the company agreed to the wage increase and other benefits, the management did not agree to other areas of the contract.
