Enrico Woolford sues NCN for close to $8M in gratuity, other benefits

Jan 16, 2021 News

Enrico Woolford, Veteran Journalist and former CEO of NCN

Kaieteur News – Veteran Journalist and former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Communications Network (NCN), Enrico Woolford, who was fired shortly after the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) came into Office last August, has sued the State-owned company for some $7,796,688 in unpaid benefits.
According to court documents filed earlier this month, Woolford is claiming that the amount owed is for his vacation allowance and gratuity.
The former CEO has asked the court to issue several declarations including the contractual benefits, which were afforded to him by the company.
In an affidavit drafted by his lawyer, Eusi Anderson, Woolford explained that during his employment as General Manager of NCN he was unable to exhaust all of his contractual benefits. As such, he said that at the date of effective termination, he became entitled to the accrued benefits. He said that this includes the accrued vacation allowance for the period January 1, 2019 to July 31, 2020 and accrued 2018/2019 annual/vacation leave of 18 days. He said he also has accrued 2019 annual/vacation leave of 30 days and 15 days for last year.
As it relates to his accrued gratuity, the applicant contends that it is for the first 12 days of April 2018, July 1 to December 31 of the same year, all of 2019 and again from January 1 to July 31 of last year—altogether amounting to a total of $7,796,688.
He said, too, that the benefits ought to have been paid at the date of termination, adding that there is no excuse in law for the company’s repeated failure to pay.
To this end, Woolford explained in the document that NCN’s Human Resources Manager, Lissette Nurse, informed him that he will be given $1,299,488 per month until the unpaid benefits are paid in light of the company’s financial position.
However, he said this has not been forthcoming. He therefore contends, “There is no excuse in law for [NCN] repeated failure to pay the benefits almost several months after they become due and payable.”

In the circumstances, the former General Manger is asking the court to grant an Order compelling NCN to pay him the monies, interest on all monetary awards, costs and any such further or other Orders the court deems just. The case is fixed to come up for hearing before Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire.
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