Christmas season worst possible period to fire people from their jobs

Dear Editor,
Christmas season is the worst possible period to fire people from their jobs, because finding another job is most difficult during the end of year period; no company hires now.
As I hear others, the termination of workers at Skeldon and Rose Hall (Canje) and elsewhere has put a damper on Christmas- related festivities. As I travel around to supervise an opinion poll being conducted by NACTA, there are adverse effects on families and communities on terminating people just before Christmas.  The description people have of this Government about job layoffs is not good. They ask what kind of people would fire thousands of workers just before Christmas. Some describe it as heartless.
On the Corentyne, people ask where are Moses Nagamootoo, Khemraj Ramjattan and Charandass Persaud? Why aren’t they speaking out against the firing and closure of estates?
As I travel from Berbice to Wales, where many have lost their livelihood, a shadow of gloom hangs over families and entire communities.

People are in a mourning state, as though someone from their family has just died. There is no sign of a celebratory mood as the country approaches the Christmas season. It is most depressing to lose your livelihood during the happiest time of the year, and it was carried out by people who called themselves Christians at a time when we celebrate a popular Christian festival — a season of giving and sharing, and one in which we try to make other people’s lives better.
Many are asking where is the voice of the church leaders for the heartless firing of workers during this season dedicated to celebrating Jesus’s birth.
People I interacted with in the directly affected communities, as well as in other parts of the country, say the Government is crude and shows signs of evil for terminating people on the eve of Christmas. People have likened the Government to the Grinch and Scrooge. And they also query whether there’s something much darker about this firing. Many note there may be fiscal reasons for laying off workers, but not at this joyful time of the year, when children and family members are looking forward for gifts and a bright year end. Also, from an economic standpoint, it is penny wise and pound foolish to fire workers when there are no alternative forms of employment; money will  not circulate to make it a bountiful Christmas for businesses in those affected communities, or nationally.
The Government will suffer from irreversible reputational harm, which far outweighs the cost savings for laying off workers at this time of the year. Those still on the payroll may be asking: “Am I next?”, and this will serve as a disincentive towards maximum productivity. People will not be motivated to work, knowing they will be fired soon.
Many I spoke with say the termination could have come after Mash (February) and Phagwah in March. A few more weeks of salary won’t have affected the Government or GuySuCo that much more. This would have given the workers some time to prepare themselves for closure of the estates, or joblessness. It would also have boosted the economy. There are no readily available jobs out there; so a few more weeks on the payroll would have given people time to find alternative sources of earning income.
Let’s be practical and realistic: no one is hiring during Christmas or the New Year, especially when the economy has been in a slump. Businesses are complaining that shopping has been down from last year, so demand for goods is not there, especially when money is not circulating.  Jobs will not be created to absorb some 2500 laid off workers.
The Government should reconsider its decision to put people on the breadline.

Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram