Dear Editor,
Scotiabank, the community bank, the indigenous bank, the family bank, the corporate and socially responsible bank. Scotiabank, the employer of choice, the bank where staff are the greatest asset. This is what staff had been brainwashed into believing over the years, they have come to realize that they are basically business statistics.
A few years ago Scotia Guyana started to report to Scotia Trinidad. From there everything changed. The compassionate Guyanese Country Manager (Amanda St. Aubyn) was forced out, and a Trinidadian Country Manager (Raymond Smith) was installed. The staff soon realized this was not only a Micro Manager but also a man whose mission seemed aimed at depleting valuable resources.
Staff benefits in Scotia Guyana were being turned off, while Scotia Trinidad staff continued to enjoy theirs. Jobs were being lost in Scotia Guyana and transferred to Scotia Trinidad with some exorbitant consultancy and support fees paid to Scotia Trinidad. This increased Scotia Guyana’s expenses, but staff were made to feel that they were the ones wasting money and overspending, which resulted in more and more benefits being turned off in Scotia Guyana.
Guyana Managers were systematically forced out of the system, while other jobs became redundant and were transferred to Scotia Trinidad. An entire support unit was transferred to Scotia Trinidad which impacted customer service, but the Trinidadian Country Manager didn’t care because jobs were being created in Trinidad. The resident Human Resource personnel (one) over recent years amounted to nothing more than an Executive Clerk, or a rubber stamp.
Needless to say, this Trinidadian Country Manager could not do this on his own. He was assisted by some Guyanese seniors within the system who believed they, too, would be safe. Well, well, well! The Scotia Guyana staff have all been sold out into uncertainty. No consideration to situation, circumstances, or choices. No severance, or pension payouts, no guarantees of proper and equal placement at the new employer. No! It’s just business! Scotia Guyana is not unionized, and the Government Ministry will not intervene in the protection of staff the way they have intervened in the competitive, regulatory and big business challenges to this deal. The Scotia Guyana employees do not have a problem with Republic Bank, they have an issue with the way they have been treated by the Scotiabank conglomerate after 50 years of loyalty.
This is the 50th anniversary for Scotiabank in Guyana. Oh what a fitting celebration!
Yours faithfully,
Carlos Prowell
Former Branch Manager
Scotiabank Bartica Branch
