Axed workers sent officials of the Mahdia Gold Corp (MGC) scurrying, as they staged a protest over unpaid salaries outside the company’s lot 72 Barrack Street, Kingston Office yesterday.
The workers pledged to continue the protest until they are paid in full by the company. Contacted yesterday, MGC Director Alan Zaakir said the administration will deal with the situation.
When word of the protest, which began at 9 am, reached company officials, the protestors said, they all swiftly emerged from the building and left the location.
Derk Trim, one of the organisers of the protest action, told Stabroek News that he along with the six others were out there protesting for the company to pay them the monies owed to them. He said that in his case, he is owed salary for the months of September, October and November 2013.
Trim, who was employed as a Geological Technician for three years with the company said that he resigned in July of 2014, after two months of receiving part of his salary. “When I resign I was promised the money owed to me,” Trim said, adding that to date he has not received that money. He further mentioned that he contacted Canadian officials of the company and informed them about his situation two weeks ago. Following that conversation, Trim said, he received a call from an official of the company, who he alleged asked him to call back the Canadian officials and retract his statement to them that he had not been paid.
Trim said he refused and was then accused of stealing a saw from Omai where he was based. When asked whether he had taken the equipment, the man told this newspaper that he had done no such thing. “I have a sick son who needs medical attention” Trim angrily stated.
Rohanna Charles, who said she had been employed for one year with the company, expressed her frustration with the attitude of the officials in paying what is owed to her. Charles added that she is owed $289,000 for the months of August and September 2014.
The woman said that a few of the 35 employees fired, had reported the company to the Ministry of Labour on July 23, 2014, only to be dismissed a month later, verbally, with the explanation that the company was “downsizing.”
“But yet they hiring,” shouted one protester.
Errol Welcome who was also employed for a year with Mahdia Gold Corp, at Omai, said that he is owed $375,000 and benefits for the months of August and September, 2014. He joined the call for payment, as he opined that the local officials are “bamboozling we.”
Former housekeeper Celestine Hinds said she was owed $448,331. Hinds expressed disgust at the non-payment of her salary and overtime amounting to 1,186 hours. “I worked from 4 am to 8 pm daily,” she said, adding, “I have secondary school children to pay lessons fees for.”
“I am married and have a new born child to look after,” said Alexander Heywood, who told this publication that he is owed $394,000. He said the previous management had made plans to pay. However, Heywood said when Zaakir took over those plans to pay were forgotten.
“It affecting me a great lot” said Sherwin Mc Calmon. He explained that he is owed accumulated salary for eight months along with leave allowance for 2014. That he estimates is in excess of $300,000. He added that he has family expenses due to deaths in his family and the birth of his twins. Mc Calmon said he had approached Zaakir for his money to pay the funeral expenses, but he was referred to other officials. However, he said the other officials referred him back to Zaakir, expressing their shock that the director sent him for money, when they had no money in the company’s coffers. “We think that he [Zaakir] has no intention of paying us,” Mc Calmon added.
When contacted, Zaakir said the workers are awaiting a “small parcel” of the final portion of money owed to them from the previous management. Asked about the plans to pay the workers, he advised this newspaper to contact the administrator at MGC’s Kingston location. When informed that all efforts to contact officials there had proved futile, he repeated his advice.
On October 16 last year, the workers had staged a similar protest at the same location. On that occasion, Zaakir had informed Stabroek News that the workers would have been paid.
This time, the workers said that they will be protesting until they are paid.
