UPDATE: Sacked Yates workers heading to Labour Dept. today
Speaking exclusively with Virgin Islands News Online from Virgin Gorda yesterday afternoon, one of the lead men said the workers are not prepared to leave any stones unturned in ensuring that they get their benefits from Yates Associates in a timely fashion.
“We have seen what has happened to others in the past, some of us have had the experience ourselves and we cannot afford to let our hard earned labour go down unrewarded,” said the man. “We don’t intend to be hostile, harsh or anything, we are going very humble just to get the commitment from senior management at Labour that our benefits would be paid,” he added.
The worker, who asked not to be named, said the delegation will be walking with a petition that has been signed by almost all the laid off workers. “Some people get very sensitive when persons try to fight for their rights but we have to in the VI. We made major sacrifices to leave our families and come here to work to make life better so we have to get what is rightfully ours. The days of slavery are long gone,” he said.
Some 40 construction workers were recently sent home unexpectedly without their benefits as Yates Associates Construction Co. Ltd of Valley, Virgin Gorda claimed ‘financial suicide’ forced the decision.
See previous article posted December 11, 2013
Yates Associates sacks some 40 employees
- Employees say firing comes with no severance or leave allowance plus they have been asked to vacate the company rented apartments according to letters
Persons numbering in the vicinity of 40 were recently sent home unexpectedly without their benefits as Yates Associates Construction Co. Ltd of Valley, Virgin Gorda claimed ‘financial suicide’ forced the decision.
Many of those persons sent home accounted for persons with 10 – 15 years of service with the company and mostly from other Caribbean islands. According to a letter seen by Virgin Islands News Online, the company claimed that because it had finished a major project later than originally scheduled they are now bankrupt and does not foresee any other work in the near future.
“Unfortunately we were 105 days late in finishing the project which has caused major financial problems for the company. Three and a half months of overtime pay makes the difference between profit and loss,” said the Yates Managing Director, Christina Yates, in a letter to employees.
According to the letter dated November 26, 2013 workers had failed to “push hard” enough to have the project completed in time but also acknowledged that there were some who did go the extra mile. “Some of you responded and pushed hard but the majority of you could not have cared less, even though I warned you of the consequences of no work and financial suicide for the company,” Yates claimed.
The letter stated that they are owed some $130,000 as per contract as retention fee which is not payable until October 2014, which marks the end of the maintenance period.
“With this letter I wish to inform you that the company is laying you off for a period of time from November 26, 2013 and we hope to recall you by February 26, 2014 by which time we hope to have new work to start,” the letter informed.
However, workers received a subsequent letter dated December 6, 2013 which stated, “We regret to inform you that we no longer have any work for you to do and are making you redundant. Due to the financial position caused by the late finishing on projects and non-productive working, we do not have funds to pay out your severance and vacation pay at this time.”
In that letter, the Managing Director acknowledged monies owed to workers and indicated their intention of paying as soon as funds are available.
Adding fury to fire, many of the workers who were renting apartments owned by the company were served letters to evacuate. The letter dated November 26, 2013 stated, “It is with regret that I advise you that you must vacate your apartment at Ghetto #3 by no later than January 31, 2014, it is my intention to renovate the building and restore it to the quality they had when I built it. I then will be having them surveyed and offering them for sale to the general public.”
Efforts to reach Ms Yates and the Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Natural Resources and Labour, Mr Ronald F. Berkeley, proved futile yesterday afternoon, December 10, 2013.
Workers said that yesterday December 10, 2013 members of both Labour and Immigration Departments met with them and had their concerns ventilated. They claimed that the Labour Department has committed to ensuring that they are paid their dues and had even insisted that they get some additional monies.
While most took the promises with a grain of salt, they have drafted a document which is being signed by all involved holding the stakeholders to their promises.
“I had the same thing told to me when I was working with another company and its years gone now and I still haven’t received a dollar, I now hearing the same kind of promise. I have to take it with a grain of salt,” said one of the sacked workers.
Another said, “We want the Labour Department to come through for us. Everywhere you turn you hear complain of labour not representing and people are being robbed. It’s time that Labour answers to their call and let it start with us. We are not spiking any hair we are going to sit our corner and please Labour do not disappoint.”
The workers said they were hard hit by the announcement by the company as many of them had plans for a good Christmas and the hope of breaking the New Year with good cheers. “Now look this, just look this, not even a dollar for the holidays. What is going to happen with our families? The children look forward to Christmas and it is our duties as parents to make them happy,” one said.
According to another, it’s more than not having Christmas as he has bank commitments, children abroad studying and medical bills hanging over his head. “This is hard, very hard. I will try to get me another job tomorrow or in the very near future but I need the money that they owe me to take care of my commitments. They must pay us and I am begging Labour to work on our behalf to ensure that we get our money before the end of the year,” one of the fired workers told Virgin Islands News Online.
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64 Responses to “UPDATE: Sacked Yates workers heading to Labour Dept. today”
Wow, Chris done build sir Richard branson 25 million dollar house and allegedly decide to retire from the Construction....I mean after a job like that I would too, cause im well paid. but I watch those boys and girls for over a year every day from 7am to 6pm even on the day we had rain & thunderstorm. I know because Yates got a fifty reward for being on time wit the project. But Yates did not had to be so rough on the staff man, feel for them, more than half are from the Caribbean island and cant speck up because they are no (born here). We need justice for people who live with us and pay tax. I mean, come on, the holidays is around the corner, give them till 2014 at least...
best to all the staff and hope you all get justice.
respect from a concern friend to most of you on Virgin Gorda
This is so sad. The apartment issue is just a sh@m. They will have to leave the country and will never be able to recover the money owed to them. It is happening all the time but nobody to stand up against just injustice. Then people wonder how the BVI got in this mess? God don't sleep you know. Too much injustice in this place. When sudden destruction hit this place there will be weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth. God forbid.
Went ting overme I bet it what a big joke
The Labour Department needs to be better equipped professionally so they can negotiate on a better level with these so called 'big employers.'
He's busy pushing the profitless Terrance B. Airport expansion. To this day labour does not have a tribunal and many labour disputes are not dealt with. Dr. P is a failure.
This is not an economy issue but just bad management. How do you let a project to run over 105 days? This is not your first project. And I must say that the letter was poorly written and says a lot... Good luck guys!!
I am glad to see the former employees of yates not sitting down and taking things easy. It must be decision time for some employer, and if Labour don't do nothing for the next three weeks, call your country's president and Prime Ministers into the issue it is bad enough that you did put into the company many years and now Yates pocket f*ll he wants to get rid of the employees and one or two but 40. Tell of your injustice, see who would want to work for him again.