Some 40 odd workers who were allegedly given marching order by Yates Associates Construction Co. Ltd., said the company has given them monies due them for a vacation package following the intervention of the Labour Department. Photo: VINO/File

Adding fury to the fire, the employees’ dismissal allegedly came with no severance or leave allowance and they have additionally been asked to vacate the company rented apartments according to letters. Photo: VINO

Adding fury to the fire, the employees’ dismissal allegedly came with no severance or leave allowance and they have additionally been asked to vacate the company rented apartments according to letters. Photo: VINO

The workers described the monies that they received on Christmas Eve, December 24, 2013 as ‘fine change’, ‘a lil frek’ and ‘eye-pass money’. “We had gone to Labour on Tola (Tortola) and explain our situation to them and they gave us all assurance that we were going to get our monies soon,” alleged one of the men.

Persons numbering in the vicinity of 40 were reportedly sent home unexpectedly earlier this month, December 2013, allegedly without their benefits as Yates Associates Construction Co. Ltd of Valley, Virgin Gorda claimed ‘financial suicide’ forced the decision.

“Yates got much bigger dollars for us and she got the money to pay us so Labour must see to it that she pays us that severance money very soon,” another alleged. “It’s time Labour start stamping their authority and we are pleased to see they made sure we get something in time for Christmas now we want our real money.”

Word of the development reached Virgin Islands News Online on Christmas day as the workers said they need to let the public know when progress is made. “When they kick us we came to you to let the world know what was going on and when some results come out we feel we need to let you know the same way,” said one of the men.

Another said, “We got a lot of bloggers to thank, we got a politician who said straight bloggers does get he vex, but we thanking the bloggers this morning because many of them had good words of encouragement and prayers out for us. We aren’t cussing them out, we thanking them today.”

Attempts to reach senior officers of the Labour Department over the holiday were futile, however a junior officer who said he cannot be named as he hasn’t the authority to speak to the media, confirmed that some monies were paid to the workers. He declined to offer any other further information.

Several phone calls to Yates Associates Construction Co. Ltd also went unanswered.

Adding fury to the fire, the employees’ dismissal allegedly came with no severance or leave allowance and they have additionally been asked to vacate the company rented apartments according to letters. This news agency was reliably informed that even though the workers were given until the end of January 2014 to vacate the Yates housing, prospective buyers have already been knocking on their doors.

“If they give us a time to move they can’t be sending people to invade our privacy to come check apartments, they got to wait until we are out. It is like they trying to push us out even before the time up,” alleged a distraught man.