Over 1,000 Caroni monthly paid staff accept VSEP

Despite rumblings by politicians and unionists urging employees to reject Government’s VSEP programme for Caroni (1975) Limited, more than 1,000 monthly-paid staff employees have applied for the separation package. Yesterday was the deadline for employees to accept the VSEP offer.

Caroni’s monthly-paid staff numbers some 1,103 employees and according to Ag CEO, Chandra Bobart, several employees had waited until the “last minute” to sign-up for the package. Bobart, however, admitted to not knowing the fate of the Company’s daily-paid workers. They were debarred from accepting Government’s offer, after their representative union, the All Trinidad Sugar and General Workers Trade Union, obtained an Industrial Court injunction which prevented Caroni from proceeding with the VSEP offer in respect of daily-paid workers of the company. “I really don’t know,” he said in response to Newsday’s queries about the fate of daily-paid workers, adding the matter was due to be heard by the Industrial Court on May 7, 2003.

Bobart said some 3,425 daily-paid employees had applied for the VSEP package before the injunction was granted last week Friday. Asked about payment of salaries and wages for the month of March, Bobart said a note had been submitted to Cabinet requesting financial assistance for the rest of the fiscal year. “We are extremely hopeful that wages and salaries would be paid by today or by next week for the latest,” he said. Bobart said the Company was grateful to all — both daily-paid and staff, cane farmers, suppliers and contractors — for their patience during “this time of suffering and hardship”. However, the newly appointed CEO added that although the VSEP deadline had passed, operations would continue as “normal” at both the Brechin Castle and Usine Ste Madeleine factories until the end of the sugar harvest.