The Ministry of Labour has denied that it is dragging its feet regarding Pritipaul Singh Investment and former workers who are demanding their severance pay after they were sent off in September when the company rejected a bid for unionisation.
In a press release issued yesterday, the Ministry said that it immediately took action from the time it was notified of the issue. The release stated, “On September 21, 2022, the Ministry’s attention was drawn to the protest action by the workers of Pritipaul Singh Investment Inc (PSI). Immediately, the Ministry invited PSI’s Human Resources Manager to a meeting the next day, September 22, 2022, to understand the situation and address the grievances. Importantly, at that time, the Ministry did not have any unresolved complaints from any worker of the company.”
The release went on to state, “On September 22, 2022, the Chief Labour Officer and his team met with the Company Secretary and Human Resources Manager of PSI. At that meeting, the representatives of the company communicated to the Ministry that they would pay the workers their severance entitlements under the Termination of Employment and Severance Pay Act, Cap.96:01. At the said meeting, PSI disclosed that ten … workers had already received their payments.” According to the ministry, although the company had promised to pay the former workers at that meeting, an additional 52 workers showed up the following week on September 28th, with further complaints of not being paid and with the hopes that the ministry could finally help to resolve the matter.
“On October 3, 2022, the Chief Labour Officer and team met with the representatives (Company Secretary and Human Resources Manager) of PSI and the workers… At this meeting, in the company of the workers, were two individuals (Mr. Singh and Mr. Bazil), none of whom introduced themselves as a lawyer, but who indicated that they were acting as representatives for some of the workers…Having heard from the workers and PSI, on October 17, 2022, the Chief Labour Officer met once again with the parties and delivered its recommendation based on the facts and circumstances of the matter.” The release noted that the Ministry provided their recommendation in writing to the company on October 25th, communicating that the company should pay the workers their severance and “any other benefit(s) duly owed to them.”
After October 17th, the Ministry said that it received 20 more complaints between October 18 and November 11. In this regard, the ministry said that it sought to convene a meeting between the two parties but this was unsuccessful as PSI did not attend.
“The Ministry will again invite the company and the workers for another meeting to address the complaints made in keeping with its established procedures”, the press release said.
The Ministry said that while it has made a recommendation on the matter it is for the company to pay the workers.
“The Ministry has encouraged payments as soon as possible but we do not have the jurisdiction to compel PSI to pay the workers”, the press release said.
Stabroek News had previously spoken to one of the workers, Nicola Smith, who related that on September 20th, the owner of the company, Pritipaul Singh, had called a meeting with the workers and told them that he heard that they were planning to form a workers’ union, and that whoever is desirous of such, he suggested that they hand in their badge and leave. Singh had promised that they [the workers] will be paid for their services. According to both the Ministry of Labour and Smith, the company has paid only ten of those workers thus far. Smith says that PSI has since refused to pay the remaining workers which led them to seek the Ministry’s help. Smith and another worker, Indranie Jiles, informed Stabroek News yesterday that they still have not received their outstanding payments from the company, “it’s really hard for us”, said Jiles.
Several calls by Stabroek News to the company’s Deputy Managing Director, Vishnu Panday, went unanswered.
