Industry Minister expresses concern
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – IN a matter of months, some 20 employees of Electrofab of the C. A. Paul Industrial Site will be on the breadline, a situation which the Minister of Industry says has caused him serious concern.
Minister with responsibility for Industry – the Honourable Dr. Timothy Harris – issued a press release earlier this week in which he indicated that the company has served formal notice to these individuals that within the upcoming two months their services would be terminated.
Dr. Harris noted that there was communication between himself and management of the company and indications are that the move became necessary, partly because of the market decline for specific products.
It is apparent that the management of the business may have adopted or considered adopting other means of dealing with the situation and, according to the press release, these were unsuccessful.
“Dr. Harris said that he has been advised by management that a decline in market for certain products has been a critical factor in management’s decision to sever workers. Workers had indicated that three days of work on and off was not helpful to them and in that regard some opted for retrenchment.”
The Industry Minister expressed that his interfacing with the workers in question revealed the depth of their apprehension.
“From my interaction with several affected workers they are concerned that it will be very difficult for them to find new or alternative jobs. I am concerned about this not only from the perspective of the manufacturing entity, but from the human side of it.
“People without work find it harder to pay their bills, meet regular commitments like mortgages, take care of their children and do those ordinary things that add worth and value to their lives. I understand their dilemma and difficulty”.
