Villagers protest on smelter site

Camille Bethel cbethel@trinidadexpress.com
Wednesday, May 27th 2009
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161482658

Work on the aluminium smelter in La Brea-the controversial centrepiece of the Government's industrial development plan-was shut down by protest action involving villagers living around the construction site yesterday.

Scores of people blocked the entrance to Alutrint's compound on the Union Industrial Estate from daybreak, demanding jobs on the worksite.

Residents of the communities of La Brea, Vessigny, Sobo, Vance River and Union Village, were involved.

From as early as 6.30 a.m. unemployed residents stopped more than two dozen dump trucks taking material to the site.

Protester Brennon Daniel said that the employment practices of Alutrint and another company employed to build a power plant to supply Alutrint, were unjust.

"The people of the area are being left out," he said. Daniel said only three people from the villages got jobs on the site.

He said although the people of Square Deal Corner and Vessigny are most affected from the dust and noise-people from outside of these communities are being given the jobs.

Construction of the smelter started three weeks ago after Government signed an agreement with the Government of China to borrow $703 million.

The smelter will produce 125,000 tonnes of aluminium annually. Alutrint's corporate communication manager Joiseann Richards denied that the company's hiring practices were unfair.

She said there were 198 Chinese labourers on site.

"For the record, in Alutrint's employ 50 per cent of the administrative staff are from La Brea and 16 people from the area have been hired at the level of site worker," she said.

Another 26 people, she said, have been employed by a community contractor, hired by the China National Machinery & Equipment Import and Export Corporation (CMEC)-the engineering procurement contractor (EPC).

"As construction progresses and more subcontracting becomes available more eligible community contractors will be hired"

"This unemployment situation was not caused by Alutrint it was pre existent...at this stage we can only provide the jobs that we are advised by the EPC are available."

Richards said "Alutrint is only one tenant on the Union Estate and by itself it cannot satisfy all of the employment needs of the community."

She said the company was willing to meet with residents. Villagers are keeping vigil at the entrance to the estate and intend protesting until their demands are met.