Minister: Hundreds retrenched as Unilever ends production

UNILEVER is ceasing all production in TT and retrenching hundreds of employees, Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus told the Senate on Tuesday, replying to a listed question from opposition senator Wade Mark.

Mark had asked if Unilever intended to retrench 286 workers in its restructuring, and whether the Government would intervene. The news came a fortnight after Unilever in TT reported a $54 million loss for last year.

Baptiste-Primus gave figures to suggest some 382 employees in total were being retrenched, in tranches of 191, 184 and seven respectively.

She said Unilever sent her a letter last December saying 191 monthly- and hourly-paid workers would be retrenched due to redundancy. Further, some 184 workers in areas such as warehouse, sanitation, quality control and field specialists were terminated on January 17. Some four warehouse managers were retrenched, along with three other workers. Some eight cases were sent to her for conciliation, she said.

Mark asked the reason for the changes, to which the minister replied the matter was under conciliation and she could not now go any further in her explanation.