Venezuelan injured during St Vincent Shipyard Limited dispute

A Venezuelan employee at the St Vincent Shipyard Limited (SSL) was injured yesterday when a stand-off between management and workers about unpaid wages descended into violence.

Chief of mechanics Pablo Malabay, who was hit with a steel pipe on his knee and arm, told SEARCHLIGHT through a translator that he will be making a report to the police about the incident.{{more}}

Malabay said that he was followed by some of the employees and was told to run because they were going to hit him.

Managing Director of the SSL Daniel Ravotti, also a Venezuelan, told SEARCHLIGHT that although the company owes the workers wages they should know better.

“Regardless of how much money I could offer, the people should know better than this [attacking Malabay]. He is an employee here; he doesn’t run with money, he doesn’t make payments,” Ravotti said.

He also stated: “…You can be angry at me because I haven’t given you enough money or I haven’t given you the money that you were expecting, but you cannot act like that. You cannot go against company property; you cannot go against the people…the same frustration they have, I have it and you don’t know.”

The managing director also claimed that since the Venezuelans began working at the shipyard they have been pushed around by local workers. (CM)