Tue | Oct 21, 2025

Restive Petrojam workers expected to resume work Thursday, says energy minister

Published:Wednesday | October 11, 2023 | 9:56 PM
UCASE General Secretary John Levy said negotiations have been under way for a new salary package for the period 2022 - 2025. -File photo

Restive workers of the state-owned oil refinery Petrojam are expected to resume work tomorrow after staging a sickout on Wednesday to protest protracted wage negotiations, Energy Minister Daryl Vaz says. 

"Based on meetings held and conversation between myself and staff a short while ago, I'm confident of a full resumption of operations by Petrojam employees while negotiations continue," he said in a post on X, the social media site formerly Twitter, on Wednesday evening. 

There has been no official statement from the Union of Clerical Administrative and Supervisory Employees (UCASE), which represents more than 200 of the over 250 workers at Petrojam. 

Earlier, Labour and Social Security Minister Pearnel Charles Jr appealed to the workers to return to work following a scheduled meeting with the union tomorrow at 8 a.m., a statement from his ministry said. 

It said Charles called a conciliatory meeting after the union reported the unrest. 

The ministry said Charles "has ensured that once normal operations are restored, a dedicated session for negotiations" will be set for 2 p.m. on Thursday. 

UCASE General Secretary John Levy said negotiations have been under way for a new salary package for the period 2022 - 2025. 

"Negotiations are going on. [They have] been back and forth, delays and so forth. All of is wrapped up into what is happening right now," he said. 

The Labour Ministry said over 217 workers participated in the industrial action.

Petrojam told The Gleaner that management implemented measures to ensure a continuation in operations. 

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