Boat captains protest retrenchment

Several boat captains and engineers of Caribbean Crewing have been given retrenchment letters. The workers said they were told that their jobs had become redundant and they were no longer needed.

The captains and other workers held a demonstration in front of the National Energy Corporation (NEC) office in Couva to voice their concerns.

They said they are being replaced by foreign employees.

Speaking to Newsday on Wednesday, one captain said after he was handed the letter he felt betrayed as he had been with the company from inception.

“To know that now my position is redundant and foreign nationals are going to replace us, this is insane. I have a family and bills to pay. How I’m going to take care of my family? How could someone be so heartless?”

He said workers were not offered any retrenchment packages for their years of service. “They said we had nothing to get. I still cannot believe it, but we are not going to leave without anything. We have rights.”

The captains who operate vessels owned by NEC, said they plan to continue protesting.