PHILIPSBURG--Workers Institute for Organised Labour (WIFOL) has announced that it may take legal action to bring about a resolution to the Pelican saga.
WIFOL President Theophilus Thompson told The Daily Herald last night that the union would be discussing taking "everyone" involved in the saga to court.
"We will pursue a court injunction against everyone to resolve this matter. The workers are employed permanently as of December 16 by the new owners. The new management company are the ones who have been managing the resort and giving employees instructions and paying the employees," he said.
Contending that management's latest action to send the workers home was a form of "mental slavery," Thompson added: "Management has gone too far [and are acting] as if the workers have no rights. I don't understand how government can issue a business licence without conditions especially protecting the rights of the employees.
"We will pursue this matter. The uncertainty and stress that workers had to go through over these weeks is a form of mental slavery and it's been very stressful and it has to stop now.
"We have a meeting with our attorney tomorrow [today, Wednesday] and that will be our suggestion, because the workers' rights have been trampled upon and violated by everyone who had to do with the business licensing and employment of the workers and with the company saying that they have applied to pay off workers via the Labour Office.
"The workers are permanently employed and working for the new owner since December 16. They paid them everything ? from salaries to Christmas bonus. They tried to force workers into submission. Almost every week the workers are being told if they don't give up their rights they will not be allowed to work. This is continuous intimidation of the employees, which is psychological slavery, and this cannot continue."
No comments:
Post a Comment