Three longstanding Guyoil Gas Station employees are now faced with the task of finding themselves another job, after their services were unexpectedly terminated.
According to 47-year-old East Ruimveldt resident Nitford John, on Monday night he, Forbes Graham, 42, of Plaisance, and Clangon Sertima, 36, of Bladen Hall, East Coast Demerara, received phone calls telling them not to attend work the following day, and to report to the company’s Head Office instead. John related that on their arrival at the office around 8 am on Tuesday, they were told by Human Resources Officer Jean Cumberbatch that their services as wash bay attendants, at the Regent Street Guyoil Branch, were no longer required. He said the reason given was that the wash bay in Regent Street will be closed, as the quality of work done there is lacking when compared to the Kitty branch.
John said he and his colleagues were then issued termination letters, which did not state the reason for their termination. He said that prior to the call on Monday night, there was no notice or indication that the wash bay would have been closed down.
Attempts to attain a comment from management on the matter have proved futile.
The father of one and the other two sacked employees told Stabroek News that they are confused as to the reason for the termination, since according to them they always received good feedback from customers and even their boss used the Regent Street the wash bay. According to John, while he and the others were working at the wash bay, customers would stop by and complain about the lousy services offered by the Kitty wash bay attendants, while praising them for the work they put out. One such customer attested to that. The customer (who requested that his name not be published) also spoke on the impromptu termination as being unfair and the reason as being “very confusing”. He said he and other customers will now be faced with the task of finding another wash bay that provides as good a service as the Regent Street branch.
The man also expressed their displeasure at the way in which they were terminated on such short notice, as well as over the fact that they were not even relocated to another branch but terminated completely.
This newspaper was on Tuesday afternoon reliably informed by another employee (who asked not to have his name stated) that the wash bay would not be closed down as was told the three sacked employees. The employee claimed that the real reason for the terminations had to do with finances. He said there have been rumours about money being missing from the wash bay finances, and John, Graham and Sertima are being wrongfully blamed for the fissure.
“The procedure to wash a vehicle is that you go into the cashier, tell them what type of wash you would like [bottom wash, top wash, complete wash], pay the required fee, collect your bill and then give it to the wash bay attendant. They do not handle the money, so how can they [those in authority] say that these guys stealing the money…” he stated.
Up to Tuesday when they were terminated, John had been an employee for nine years, Graham for 18 years, and Sertima for six years. Their letters stated that they would receive their benefits.
