By Junior Quow
I am calling on the Minister of Labour, the Minister of Health, the Minister of Works and the Prime Minister to look into our dilemma.
The Modern Medical Complex in Georgetown is in its second year of operation and 11 former workers — including six watchmen, three office staff and two labourers — are yet to receive their severance for their years of service during the construction phase of the project and part of the medical operation phase.
More than half of the 11 former workers were employed from the project started in 2008 and all of us stopped in January 2019.
I am not sure if the four ministers know about our plight, therefore, I am, again, using this medium to reach out to them so that we can receive our monies. We are a country of laws, therefore, rules/laws must be followed/abided by.
Even if the project was bankrupt, we hear about special warrants for all sorts of things, so the same can be done for us.
I want to make it clear to all who think they know more about me than I do that I, Junior Quow, am a supporter of progress and, therefore, a supporter of this government. But I cannot be a hypocrite by remaining silent and stifle my conscience when there is a wrong.
Please, ministers, get the necessary mechanisms into action so we can get our monies as we all have families with needs.
Thank you.
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Pretty typical, with 60 land owners remaining unpaid for land taken from them at Argyle. Such behaviour by private individuals would be imprisonable.
Don’t hold your breath because others have experienced the same problem with government. The Ferry dock security workers were all fired from their jobs because they asked for monies outstanding to them. I am not sure if they ever got paid severance even.
The irrigation workers were all sent home without pay or severance payment.
Yet top ministers traveling expenses are huge and if they stopped travelling for six months most of the workers could be paid.
This is nothing new, this is a very nasty trait of this government.
My heart goes out to you and many like you. You deserve your money with interest.
On the other hand, this inept government that you support is making it difficult for you to provide for yourself and your family. Yet you are proud to boldly declare your loyalty to your government instead of your family. Is that progress?
Dear Junior Quow, to continue to support this rotten Government and its failed policies in such a situation as yours, is just stupid folly. No wonder they continue to behave and act in this contemptible way towards all who have grievances against them.
If after such contemptuous slackness and despicable behaviour, you and your fellows continue to add your support to them, then come on, you sure deserve every bit of this most terrible treatment that you are now receiving at their hands for your gross stupidity.
Is that how they show their “Labour love” to you silly supporters? Shame on you! Fools sure gets what fools deserve.
This country-wide policy (law?) of severance pay actually stinks! Yes, since it is a “law” it has to be obeyed but everyone except a recipient of the monies hates it. That includes government officials. Businesses already have to pay NIS. If they say they like it, ask them that when they have to dole-out large sums of government or personal savings to someone that leaves thier employment.
Why should anyone have to save on thier own when you can get very wealthy when leaving a long-term employment?
What a DISINCENTIVE to think about starting a business and hiring anyone!
It is not only the ULP government. Remember an opposition politician’s secretary also had to fight for her severance? So many businesses in the Private Sector also close without having vast sums to pay the workers. Remember the beverage company in SVG that closed down? Imagine your business barely surviving all the high taxation and for some reason a blow comes where you have to close the business. The owners may be left with debts and, on top of that TENS OF THOUSANDS of debt in Severance pay!
IMAGINE HOW SUCCESSFUL BUSINESSES HAVE TO BE IN SVG TO PAY MANY THOUSANDS EVEN JUST TO ONE PERSON WHO LEAVES YOUR BUSINESS!
In my opinion, rent costs, license fees, all the expected costs and then, Severance Pay and all the high taxes and Customs costs are good DISINCENTIVES to NEVER do business in SVG! No one has any money. All the money goes to the government, that is why most fair businesses never make it only those that cheat or have connections.
Christmas ah come an Papa ah get even fatter but although ono is supporters im nar put no kile enna ono little platters.
But watch yah nuh, is it because ono nah bright why im nar treat ono right? Looks like crapo guine smoke ono pipes all through yuletide! Ono is proper jokers yo na see, dat ah why Crapo gat ono smokers!
The ULP government’s business administration is not up to date it seems. While the poor can wait, big belly Gonsalves continue to enrich himself (e det go tell on im). Too bad people lack the resolve to commit themselves and stand up together for their rights. This Dictator-light version will simply go on and on till he run the country into the ground or the current party members have to moult and jump ship. That is one way to change things.
Gonsalves has most of the population starving until election time them he appease them with hand-outs at political rallies and during the campaign. After he win again he will continue with his self-serving evil politics.
Mr Qouw your family wellbeing comes before the Gonsalves gang power-lusting( in case you forget).
Why can’t people have what is rightly and legally theirs? You have duties but you have no rights? When Bosses put people to work without pay it is called Slavery that means that the perpetrator is a Slavedriver. To put this into some context. You just can’t resign yourself to the status quo and that’s it. You got to stand up for your rights. Nothing wrong with that (that is not a sin).
These people are far too dunce R! Have you not read what Junior said? Quote; “I want to make it clear to all who think they know more about me than I do that I, Junior Quow, am a supporter of progress and, therefore, a supporter of this government”.
He supports the “one extended family rule over the nation R, which for him is no doubt progressive, and by that, his resultant slavery treatment should generate no complaint, so why then is he here complaining?
The obvious reason R, is that none of them are bright enough to examine or analyse the real cause of their situation, much less have the ability to extract themselves from the open plantation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqVDG-UmoXM
De fat man ah de Don Gargan! Ah true dem nah see!
Jolly Ralph said the reasons why they have unpaid landowners in Argyle it’s because they have no documents to prove that they have title to the land. If that’s the case it is difficult to settle their claims.