President general of the Oilfields Workers' Trade Union (OWTU) Ancel Roget said yesterday a campaign of shutdowns will start from today.

Following a failed meeting with Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar at the Prime Minister's Whitehall office on Tuesday, Roget and 17 other labour leaders met again yesterday to detail their threat to shut down the country. Roget told the meeting, which took place yesterday at Communication Workers Union head office on Henry Street, Port of Spain, "The shot has been called."

The joint trade union leaders said Persad-Bisessar had a false sense of confidence after the recent sign-off with the Public Services Association (PSA), but they had a surprise for her.

"At 7 a.m tomorrow (today), we will be meeting with the public servants at the San Fernando General Hospital," Roget said.

He said despite the sign-off and acceptance of the now contentious five per cent wage offer, public servants were "dissatisfied" and willing to show solidarity with the joint labour struggle.

"Help is coming where help is needed," he said.

Roget said they were also meeting with the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) workers to "dissect" the last agreement signed by PSA president Watson Duke.

"Let us not forget that there are three representing unions in WASA and not just that sell-out union," he said, referring to the PSA.

Despite this move to encroach on another union's members, Roget said there would not be any cannibalisation of the PSA membership.

"The workers are continuing to complain that they are not getting proper representation," he said.

"If the Prime Minister felt that when that day or days come around that those workers would not be involved then she has another think coming. That is a serious miscalculation," Roget said.

"Quarter of the PSA still remains holding on, while three quarters were fired by Duke. So the three quarters that were fired, they backing what we doing," he said.

He said though those workers may not benefit from their struggle, they were willing to lend support out of a sense of solidarity.

With regard to the shut down plans, Roget said they will be visiting communities talking to people about what's happening with workers.

"At 9 a.m we will be meeting with the contractors, another important group, at the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery. They have been reeling under the pressure," he said.

"We not going to stop there," he said. Roget said the union leaders would be meeting with CEPEP workers and the Maxi-Taxi Association.

He said the Prime Minister was attempting to allay fear by saying the strike action was limited.

"But this is a Government when they say stand up is to run," he said.

"We are not blaming you (Persad-Bissessar) and your Government, but you committed yourselves to do better," he said.