In a significant legal and political development, Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) president Ancel Roget has initiated defamation proceedings against former Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley. The lawsuit, filed at the High Court on November 22, stems from comments allegedly made by Rowley regarding a 2022 highway blockade incident involving scrap-iron dealers.
The controversy dates back to August 2022 when truckloads of dirt were dumped on the Solomon Hochoy Highway near Claxton Bay, creating massive traffic gridlock. This protest occurred shortly after the government implemented a six-month ban on scrap iron exports, which dealers argued would devastate their livelihoods. Roget asserts that while his union defended the protesters’ concerns, Rowley made defamatory statements about his character in connection with the incident.
Speaking at a gathering of former Petrotrin employees commemorating the seventh anniversary of the state-owned company’s closure, Roget declared: ‘Rowley frequently pursues legal action against those who criticize him. Now he must answer this statement of claim in court.’ The comment received enthusiastic applause from union members.
The Petrotrin closure remains a deeply contentious issue, with Roget characterizing it as ‘one of the most devastating economic decisions inflicted on the people’ by Rowley’s previous administration. He accused the former government of systematically ‘attacking and demonizing’ the OWTU for seven years while using misinformation to justify the refinery’s shutdown. Although the Rowley administration cited economic challenges and declining profitability as reasons for closure, Roget maintains the action specifically targeted the union while harming the entire nation.
Roget used the platform to rally his ‘blue-shirt army’ of supporters, urging them to prevent the return of the People’s National Movement (PNM) to power. He specifically highlighted the union’s success in making traditionally secure PNM seats marginal, referencing San Fernando East, Point Fortin, and La Brea constituencies. The event was attended by current government officials including Point Fortin MP Ernesto Kesar, now Minister in the Ministry of Energy, and La Brea MP Clyde Elder, Minister in the Ministry of Public Utilities—both former union leaders themselves.
Roget announced plans to hold a press conference to provide further details on the defamation case, signaling continued escalation of tensions between the labor movement and former administration.