Update on Smelta Wars 18th September, 2009

Local Newspapers reported that on September 11th, workers on the controversial 760 MW power plant (Trinidad Generation Unlimited) being built on Union Industrial Estate to supply power to the equally controversial Alutrint smelter were locked out by management. The power plant is being built by E Pihl & Sons, (pihl) a Danish company. The job was subcontracted to them by MAN FERROSTAAL (MF), a German Company. MF's majority shareholder is the Government of Abu Dabai.

Locked out workers have pitched two tents outside the entrance to Union Industrial Estate. On the other side of the road is the anti-smelter camp. Earlier in the week, pihl warned workers against illegal industrial action. Workers are demanding better working conditions - including health and safety. According to one worker "within the past two weeks, four people have suffered injuries on the job. The company is saying that what we are doing is illegal, but as long as it is over health and safety issues, we are within our rights to strike,"

There is also concern over National Insurance deductions on their payslips. "We are supposed to be paying $134 a fortnight, but we are paying up to $400 a fortnight,". Workers are also claiming that they are not being paid properly for overtime.

Pihl had warned workers against illegal industrial action, stating that any breach of contract would "result in dismissal". One worker claimed "the project manager said he does not have to listen to our problems". Newspapers reported that pihl's Project Manager, Hansen, could not be reached by the press for comment.

Chinese workers on the adjacent Alutrint smelter were supposed to have downed tools since the June 16th Judgment when the High Court "quashed" Alutrint's Certificate of Environmental Clearance (CEC) issued by the Environmental Management Authority (EMA). Chinese workers have expressed frustration to local anti-smelter protestors camped out side.

Over this last week Alutrint has spent a fortune in 'Public-State' funds on public relations, seeking to convince the national population that their smelter poses no health risks (they remain mum on its economic viability). Harriet May-Phillips, (of 'SENES' a Canadian based consulting firm) and author of the very controversial Human Health and Ecological Risk Assessment (HEERA) which formed part of Alutrint's CEC submissions has been on the radio (several stations) every day this week. Alutrint is planning a big fete in La Brea this weekend for the 'community' where rum will flow, noise will make, flags will wave and no doubt many a young man will stumble home in a drunken stupor.

For the record, the EMA hired Jaques Whitford (a consulting firm also from Canada) to perform a supposedly 'independent' review of the HEERA prepared by SENES. Had the EMA bothered to look, they would have found that SENES and JW have a history of close collaboration with each other.

Concerned citizens of Trinidad and Tobago do not accept that JW can with impartiality and neutrality, professionally review the work of of SENES. The internet makes for interesting reading on a paper mill in Canada where these two companies were involved in reviewing each others work.

In any event, the EMA remains at fault for fragmenting and "staggering" the CECs for the smelter, power plant and port facilities. These are essential components of Alutrint's Smelter Complex. An integrated Environmental Impact Assessment should have been carried out for this infrastructure. We the People of Trinidad & Tobago are left with the vexing situation of a 'quashed smelter', a 'striking power plant' and a port still under construction. What a mess! Undeterred however, the 'State' continues to say 'smelta coming'. We are on-the-ground 'playing for change'.

Press Release 10th June, 2009, La Brea Citizens United - Government Bus in URP Workers to Pose as Pro-smelter Residents for Sod Turning Ceremony

Affected residents who are among those that have to be tested biannually for cancer stood with supporters from wider Trinidad outside the entrance to the Alutrint smelter complex in peaceful protest today. We called for explanations from Mr. Manning, Alutrint, and the EMA. Instead of getting explanations we watched as our fellow Trinidadians and foreigners, under the protection of the police, drove up in Mercedes Benz, BMWs, and other expensive sport utility vehicles into the compound to turn the sod for the machinery that will destroy our lives and communities. We were not invited to the ceremony. Not even members of Village Councils were invited. The so called “beneficiary community” was not supposed to be there. It cannot be there, because a beneficiary community does not exist. It is a myth.

The Prime Minister, Mr. Patrick Manning passed us on his way in without acknowledgement. We couldn’t believe he would treat us like that. We thought he might have stopped to reassure us at least that someone would talk to us. We were hurt. Some of the women broke down crying because despite all that has been done to us we still had some feeling deep within us that he would not treat us this way. After all he is our leader. We put him there with our precious votes. Mr. Manning and his party can never say that whenever they need us, the majority people of La Brea don’t stand up and support them.

After the ceremony started we discussed going into the proceedings. However, we were told by one of Mr. Manning’s representatives that he would stop and address the crowd on the way out. We believed. He did not stop. Our Member of Parliament, Mr. Fitzgerald Jeffrey, also passed without acknowledgement on his way in. Instead of coming back out in his vehicle, he sent out his vehicle with his brother and tried to sneak out in the back seat of a pick-up truck. We tried to stop the truck so he would come out and talk to us. One of our brothers, Mr. David Sinclair, of Sobo Village was arrested after boarding the tray of the vehicle. Mr. Jeffrey snuck away.

During the protest the State bussed in workers to stand as Pro-Smelter people. The public tax payer’s funds were being used to pretend that there are actually real living people who want to live near the death smelter. We welcomed these “so- called” pro-smelter people and offered for them to take the microphone and speak on why they support the smelter. However, no one from among them came forward. After all, they couldn’t. They were just victims of a very bad work day.

During our meeting, an individual who had been with Mr. Manning’s team approached some of us from Square Deal, one of the communities that have serious grievances regarding our involuntary relocation. He said he had been in discussion with the big ones and he offered to set up a meeting for some people in our group to talk to the authorities to resolve our issues. However, he said that this meeting would have to be in Port of Spain because it would take us into a neutral space to dialogue. He wanted the names and contacts of the residents leading the protest so he could contact us. We asked him to make his offer at the microphone in a transparent and public space but he did not do so. We had written to Alutrint over a week ago asking for a transparent public and properly recorded meeting. They still have not responded to our letter. Given the character we have seen of this company so far, we are not surprised that a political operative would have tried to trick and divide us.

We the residents stand united across villages, ethnicity, and customary political party loyalties. Tricks and tactics will not make us put anything before our health and our children’s future. We wish to thank those people who came from different parts of Trinidad to stand with us. We will continue our protest and call for transparency. We are calling on all right minded citizens to help us save our lives and communities and, equally important, to save our country from this race to the bottom.

There is no smelter plant on that ground yet. No smelter plant will go on that ground.