The National Trade Union Centre is condemning the issuing of 200 termination letters to several categories of Petrotrin employees.

NATUC says while it notes these employees are not members of the Oilfield Workers Trade Union, it is drawn to the fact that some of them are represented by the National Petroleum Staff Association which is affiliated to NATUC.

NATUC says it is witnessing an arrogance and disrespect of good industrial relations practices by the board, the management of Petrotrin and the government.

According to NATUC, the issue in the sending home of the 200 employees has nothing to do with whether the workers are represented by a union or not; or whether the workers are on contract.

It says the issue is rooted in the fact that the Petrotrin matter is before the Industrial Court.

NATUC believes common sense will dictate, that all matters involving the termination of any worker shall be stayed until the court delivers its judgment in the matter filed by the OWTU.

NATUC says the serving of the termination letters is contemptuous, disrespectful and smacks of a level of insensitivity.

According to NATUC, in the absence of seeing issues from the perspective of the other side and treating the citizens as human beings, Trinidad and Tobago will be on an industrial relations slippery slope.

The umbrella trade union body is calling on the government to treat with the OWTU in good faith and to work towards finding a mutually beneficial outcome to the Petrotrin issue.