Ex-COP staff member sues party, leader

COP leader Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan.  -
COP leader Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan. -

A FORMER office manager of the Congress of the People’s (COP) has filed a claim in the Supreme Court against the party and its leader Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan for unpaid wages.

Jeremy Edwards, 29, of Felicity, and his attorney Kamini Ramraj are seeking to recover $42,000 in salary arrears, along with legal fees, special damages, interests, costs and other relief.

The claim follows a pre-action protocol letter, issued in November 2019, which was signed by Seepersad-Bachan.

The letter says, on November 4 the parties met in an attempt to settle the matter and Seepersad-Bachan admitted to the claims. It is alleged she asked for another opportunity to meet a month later to arrange payment and settle the matter.

“This wait has proven futile for the claimant as attempts to contact the parties and have the parties prioritise a date to meet again never happened,” the letter read.

Edwards began work in October 2017, earning $8,000. In July, 2018, he and Seepersad-Bachan negotiated his salary, reducing it by $3,000. Edwards’ work schedule was also adjusted to more flexible hours.

The lawsuit claims, however, that the defendant faltered on salary payments for several months between February 2018 and August 2019. Edwards stayed away from work during some of this time, the lawsuit says, because of non-payments and also because of developments in a medical condition he now suffers.

“Apart from salary non-payments, the claimant feels hurt and distraught by insensitive comments made... (including some by Seepersad-Bachan), which allege that the claimant did not work for the monies he is owed.”

He also took issue with a remark made by Seepersad-Bachan when he was not paid his salary on time, alleging that she said, “He’s living at home in his parent’s house and doesn’t have bills to pay.”

“The claimant,” the document said, “lives with his mother who is affected by the negatives being said about him as she is burdened with shouldering his responsibilities and caring for him during these days of hardship and ill health with which he is challenged.

“The claimant has bills to pay ranging from medical bills to household bills, which (are) necessary for a comfortable standard of living.”

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