United Associates’ workers again protest long overdue wages

Apr 22, 2012 News

Security guards employed with the United Associates Security and Domestic

The guards during their small protest outside the United Associates Office in Kingston

Services Incorporated, staged a protest over overdue payments, in front of the company’s office in Kingston.
Though without placards, the workers, who said that they have not been paid for the past three months, did not fail to have their plight heard by passersby. They made it clear that not only are they being underpaid, but they are also being paid two to three months apart, on a regular basis.
Trying to withhold her tears, one woman noted that she has become almost accustomed to black tea.
“I am not ashamed to say… I does hardly get to feed my children. Right now my rice bucket empty… flour, sugar, everything done. Me and children practically starving,” another woman noted.
The workers, most of whom are single parents, noted that though monies for National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and other taxes have been deducted from their salaries, no contributions have been registered in their names.
“I working here for over ten years, and NIS has no contribution paid for me from United Associates. When I went there and de girl check the computer, nothing was there for me. She said all I could get is a grant. I have to go back in three months. It’s not fair that all my 11 years gone down the drain with nothing, but late payments, underpayments, and no NIS contributions,” one Miss Daniels said.
The workers said that the administration has no care if they are starving or not.
“It so unbelievable… these people don’t even care whether we getting fuh we eat or not. And just for the record, many of us are not,” one woman said.
“We can’t go to GPL, GT&T, GWI or we landlords with these plights. I have already been evicted,” the woman added.
The company’s General Manager, Mr. Austil Ogle, said that he was not aware of the protest, but took the opportunity to explain that though the company has a record of untimely payments, the current situation is to be attributed to a glitch at the bank.
Ogle said that his company has millions of dollars in overdue payments to Guyana Revenue Authority and the NIS.
He added that as a result of this, the company has been experiencing problems in obtaining contracts, and as such, the company has to await payments from the customers to pay staff; which in this case, is the Ministry of Human Services whose cheque was received only recently.
Nonetheless, the workers are all preparing to pay a visit to the said ministry’s office in the Stabroek Market area on Monday, regarding their “unfruitful labour”.
They are also calling on the opposition parties to assist them.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News