This much-talked about shopping entity is brutal

Jan 26, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,
We must thank Freddy Kissoon for this exposure of certain unscrupulous employers who treat staffers like stray animals, the latest being 2 major shopping establishments. The economy had slowed and so are employment in the country. However for one particular store, nothing has slowed especially the wanton hire and fire of staff. We are speaking of a new shopping complex that was based in Georgetown but now relocated.
Editor, please allow me to express my sympathies to the hundreds if not a thousand staff that were fired by this heartless company over the last 3 years. By no means is this a large company but the employment turnover rate make large companies like Banks or DDL look like cottage industries.
Young men and women received the shock that will remain for the rest of their lives in the manner their jobs were terminated. The company has the habit of employing young and inexperienced staff many of whom are not familiar with labour laws or basic human rights laws and would allow tyranny to triumph because of their inexperience in these matters. Many came with bright smiles on their faces in anticipation of the world of jobs and seeking financial independence. Your first job experience stays with you for the rest of your life and here in this company after a few weeks or months, smiles turned to shock and horror, many not envisaging what a cruel and heartless place the world can be. Young men and women are left traumatized by the manner in which hope turns to hell.
Analysis of the reasons for most dismissals centered on family egos and “hearsay.” This is a company managed and controlled by family members who themselves have senior positions within the company. Each family member has the power to effect dismissals at their own jurisdiction without explanations to the other. The family egos run so high as Mount Everest that a mere comment deemed to be negative and overheard by some passersby can effect a dismissal. Simple mistakes caused by lack of experience that can be corrected are not excused. A basic complaint pertaining to the job such as querying an unpaid overtime will be viewed as an attack on the family. Family members will assign tasks to a single staff and if he chooses to carry out the task received first, the other family member becomes offended who assign the second task. I have never seen so many employees behave so timidly on the job as here.
Once Freddy Kissoon wrote that it is heartbreaking to keep a friend in this company (and there are many friendly staff there) because next time he visited, that person no longer works there and other staff currently there does not know who he is asking for. He further states that most of the staff wears a trainee badge even visits after visits. This is so true.
One major getaway route this big shopping complex is utilizing is the severance route. In order to avoid scrutiny or challenges, the company uses the severance termination clause. I am not sure if this route is contestable but the company is getting away with murder using termination by severance. This means if an employee is employed for less than one year, there will be no payment and if more than one year, one week per year.
There is an HR department there that operates like a mill that continuously enjoyed hiring and firing as its raw material and finished product. One hopes that with the new Government, the Labour ministry zero in on this shopping mall and establish some form of agreement with a labour union to cease this dastardly act and who fails torecognize that poor people are still humans.
Store employee (name supplied)

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