OWTU gains bargaining status at Heritage, Paria

GEISHA KOW­LESSAR-ALON­ZO

The Sen­ate has ap­proved two amend­ments to the Her­itage Pe­tro­le­um, Paria Fu­el Trad­ing and Guaracara Re­fin­ing Vest­ing Amend­ment Bill 2026, paving the way for the Oil­fields Work­ers’ Trade Union (OW­TU) to be deemed the recog­nised ma­jor­i­ty union for work­ers at Her­itage Pe­tro­le­um and Paria Fu­el Trad­ing for both ex­ist­ing col­lec­tive agree­ments and fu­ture col­lec­tive bar­gain­ing.

The amend­ments, which orig­i­nat­ed in the House of Rep­re­sen­ta­tives, were passed fol­low­ing a di­vi­sion in the Sen­ate, with 17 sen­a­tors vot­ing in favour, six against and sev­en ab­stain­ing.