Stechers workers protest late salaries

WORKERS of Stechers Ltd staged a noisy demonstration outside the company’s San Juan, Barataria offices yesterday morning.

The workers, who are represented by the All Trinidad General Workers’ Trade Union (ATGWU), expressed disappointment over the repeated late payment of salaries since October 2017 and the non-payment of their salaries for March 2018.

The mostly female workers, several of whom were dressed in the union’s red T-shirts, held placards which read “We want we money now” and “No money, no work” as they marched outside the company’s head office.

ATGWTU president general Nirvan Maharaj said several issues were already adversely affecting the workers, including the “callous and brutal retrenchment” of staff at one of the company’s branches, at Long Circular Mall, as it had not paid them severance benefits.

He said the company had also failed to provide alternative employment or redeploy the retrenched employees, nor met with the union to discuss the issue.

Maharaj said negotiations for 2014-2016 were also still outstanding.

“The union is calling on the company to immediately ensure the workers get their just due, a fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work,” he said.

“The union is also calling on the company to adhere to good and proper industrial relations practices and recognise that the workers of Stechers Ltd are not mere numbers and statistics but human beings with mortgages, rent, loans, bills to pay, groceries to buy and day-to-day living expenses.”

The Stechers spokesman was unavailable for comment.

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