Linden municipality made decision to terminate contracts – Town Clerk

Sacking of hundreds of Linden CIIP workers

By Utamu Belle

The decision to terminate approximately 271 workers in Linden under the Community Infrastructure Improvement Project (CIIP) was made through the councillors within the Linden Mayor and Town Council (LM&TC), Town Clerk Jonellor Bowen stated.
Following the issuing of termination letters recently to facilitate a better paying “superior contract”, Regional Chairman Renis Morian had asked for those letters to be rescinded, noting that it created uneasiness among the workers who were not properly consulted on the move.
According to Morian, he had received information that this would be done. However, Bowen stated that prior to reading it in the news, she was unaware that Regional Chairman Renis Morian had asked for those letters to be rescinded and to date she has not been informed to do so. She noted that once decisions are made within the Council, there are procedures and legal indications attached.
“I did not receive any instructions on that matter, because of course if we are going to do something like that there must be straight instructions”, Bowen stated.
Bowen added that decision-making is a procedure and according to law, if the Council makes a decision, then it can only be looked at again after six months and would have to have the vote of two thirds of the councillors, if there is a desire to change that decision. She said prior to the decision, she would have received correspondence at the level of the Ministry of Communities, based on discussions with the permanent secretary, where it was noted that the 271 employees under the CIIP programme would be allowed to work up to July 31, 2016.
She said the correspondence added that a maximum of 250 workers must be employed no later than August 1, 2016 and will work for eight hours per day, 4 days per week, 16 days per month, which would also include an increase in payment from $12,500 to $25,000 per month.
“With this being said…Council decided that they would terminate all the contracts and then they would rehire 250…the Town Clerk would have done as mandated to have termination letters done”, she said, noting that the ministry is working with an approved budget for 250 persons.
As of Wednesday, August 17, 2016, Bowen said of 156 CIIP workers on the Wismar shore, 131 would have signed and uplifted their termination letters. Of 115 workers on the Mackenzie shore, 94 would have signed and uplifted same.
“The Council, they made the decision to terminate the 271 workers because the figure that we are working with, based on advice from the ministry, is 250. So at a statutory meeting, that decision was made. I was mandated, based on the law to carry out that mandate, and that I did. I did the termination letters, in fact I called them (CIIP workers) to meetings, both Wismar and Mackenzie, separately, and spoke to them indicating this is what it is and I would have presented the letter and read it out and I said this is what it means. Some persons would have signed and uplifted their letters, some would not have signed”, Bowen claimed.
Asked whether the rehiring process would facilitate former workers Bowen said she believes that no worker should be left out and such matters can be worked out. She noted however that disagreements were raised by the workers at the meeting, where she explained that it was not her decision but the ministry had given advice on the matter and the council had made a decision regarding same.
The Town Clerk stated that the issue was discussed at the time with Acting Mayor Rawle Friday since Mayor Carwyn Holland was out of office. The rehiring process was expected to be completed on August 12, however, Bowen said she was advised by Friday to put the process on hold.
Bowen added that it was agreed by the CIIP workers and their constituency representatives that the rehiring and working processes henceforth would be a collaborative effort. She said this involves on-the-job decision making and recommendations, “…so that it would not be or seem unfair, we’re consulting with everyone…these things were discussed…consultation is important especially on matters like these” she declared.