NFM announces new year layoffs
One hundred and forty-five National Flour Mills (NFM) workers will be put on the bread line before the end of the year, as acting NFM chief executive officer Sheldon Cyrus told Newsday that plans were underway to re-structure the company. "We started negotiations with the union yesterday. It will occur in the first quarter of 2006," he said. Cyrus said the restructuring process will result in layoffs of staff. Seamen and Waterfront Workers Trade Union (SWWTU) president Michael Annisette said he met with representatives of NFM yesterday. "They said they are proposing to restructure the company. On Monday, I will meet with the workers to bring them up to date," he disclosed. Annisette said he rejected the voluntary separation of employment plan that was offered in 1979, which was higher than the 2005 proposal, and was an inferior package. "It doesn’t make sense whatsoever, and we put several proposals for them. We are looking at the Telecommunications Services of Trinidad and Tobago formula. We believe that health benefits must continue and the package must be agreed to by the workers of NFM," he stated. He said that 75 percent of the monthly salaries should be paid for a year. NFM should then submit an organisational chart and rational that was used for reduction of the workers to come up with that figure. An audit to find out how many people are between 50- 55 years of age to reduce the number of people going home should also be submitted. NFM Communications Manager Donna Cox was unavailable for comment.
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"NFM announces new year layoffs"