Reforestation contractors: No pay for three months

CONTRACTORS hired by the Rural Development Company's (RDC) National Reforestation and Watershed Programme protested in front of the CEO's office in Couva on July 7 for what they said were the non-payment for three months of work and a lack of communication.

Last week PNM PRO Faris Al-Rawi and party chairman Marvin Gonzales revealed the contracts of 4,608 workers and contractors were terminated.

Leading the movement, Ressa Rennie said some of the contractors like herself did not receive any termination letters. Estimating there are around 60 contractors who suffer the same fate, she said they had not received any payments for work done during the three-month contract.

"We supposed to receive our payments fortnightly like the rest of forestry workers. We have not received one salary up to this day.

"On our second fortnight they told us every week 'next week, next week' and for the longest while nothing."

Rennie said that despite not being paid, they continued to fulfil their end of the contract.

She said she visited the offices on July 4 and 5 but was unable to get any answers.

"I have 30 single mothers working with me...some of them owing school transport, I lend some of them money and nothing. It is sad, it is really sad because it is poor people."

She added: "Some of the contractors did not want to come out here this morning because the workers are threatening them and they can't do nothing about it. They (the workers) believe the contractors get their money and did not pay them."

She said each contractor has about 30 workers.

Another contractor, Sherwin Joseph said those employed by the programme were the most vulnerable in society and it was devastating to see them be treated in such a way.

"It is a sad situation to know the folks and them which is low down the food chain have to go through all of this crying maybe because of political affiliations. So it need to be resolved."

He said he has many workers who borrowed money to show up to work and apart from losing an income, are now in debt.

With the contracts being awarded just over a week before the general election, Joseph said it was unfair to use the timing of it as justification to withhold payments if that was a contributing factor.

"It don't have anything in the law stating that you must be within a timeframe in order to get a contract."

He said an ideal resolution would be for them to get paid and have their contracts renewed but they would settle for the former.

While he places the blame on the current administration, Rennie believes the previous government is also to blame.

"If the past government didn't have things in place for this, why allyuh take advantage of the needy people of our country and put us in this position? Better allyuh didn't give us no work. It is very sad as a woman, seeing 30 women with children, single mothers can't even get paid, can't even put food on their tables. They tried, they worked so hard and nothing."

Newsday was unable to reach Minister of Rural Development and Local Government Khadijah Ameen or Minister of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries Ravi Ratiram for comment.

Speaking during a press conference at Balisier House on July 2, Al Rawi and Gonzales slammed the government for the terminations.

It comes on the heels of job losses across several state entities, the largest and most recent being at Cepep where over 300 contractors had their contracts terminated on June 27. This is estimated to affect some 11,000 employees. While the opposition PNM has painted this as a targeted attack on those who support the party, the government argued that the company needs auditing as it had not filed financial reports for almost a decade and has questionable hiring practices.

Days before the April 28 polls now Minister of Legal Affairs Saddam Hosein called on the RDC CEO to investigate how contracts were awarded.