Trinidad court freezes assets of U.S.-based tire company

Thursday, October 2, 2003

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad: A Trinidad court has ruled in favor of local workers and frozen the assets of U.S.-based tire company, Carlisle Tire and Rubber Ltd.

The ruling, according to the Associated Press comes after the company closed its plant and dismissed more than 400 workers about two weeks ago. Trinidad's Labor Ministry filed a motion on behalf of the workers to freeze Carlisle's assets, saying the workers had been unjustly released.

Yesterday, a court agreed. The court's ruling allows the Charlotte company to spend only $4,200 in monthly operating expenses at the plant, which has been open since 1995 in Point Fortin. The plant, located in a free-trade zone, manufactured 3,000 to 4,000 tires a day for export, according to court documents.

Company officials from both the Trinidad plant and Carlisle's U.S. headquarters did not return calls for comment Wednesday. A lawyer representing Carlisle in Trinidad, Jonathan Walker, said he had just received the case and could not yet comment.

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