Seven store supervisors of United Independent Petroleum Marketing Company Ltd (Unipet) yesterday broke down in tears after they were surprisingly handed retrenchment letters, as the company embarked on a restructuring exercise, claiming that their jobs have become redundant.
And workers fear that next in line to be sent home are approximately 20 cashiers.
However, the positions of store supervisor are expected to be immediately filled by new employees under the job title Assistant Store Managers. The terminated workers, some of whom have seven years’ service, intend to raise this with their lawyers and union in the coming days.
The sacked workers, some of whom worked at Unipet’s Brentwood, Curepe and St Augustine branches each earned a monthly salary of $5,250.
One of the retrenchment letters obtained by Guardian Media, signed by Unipet’s acting CEO Kirt Hill, stated that further to consultations held by Unipet’s management during stand down meetings the company embarked on a restructuring exercise in 2017 based on strategic plans and objectives.
The letter stated that based on the restructuring, the position of store supervisor became “redundant” and was provided with the opportunity to be interviewed for Assistant Store Manager.
“It is with deep regret that we inform you that you are unsuccessful at the interview for the role of Assistant Store Manager. Based on the foregoing, your position has been deemed surplus labour and we are therefore left with no alternative but to sever the employment relationship effective November 17.”
The workers will be paid severance benefits in the coming days.
The letter advised that over the next 45 days they are free to make arrangement to seek employment, but “you should remain available to us as far as possible during this period in the event that we require your service.”
One of the retrenched workers, who requested anonymity, admitted that the news of being laid off hit her like a tonne of bricks, as she notified not to attend work but to report to Unipet’s head office in San Juan.
“They were talking about sending home workers before but we did not know when it was going to take place. Those who were sent home are all single mothers. We trained our replacement that is the sad thing about it. As of today, I am jobless,” she said.
“What we heard, is that the cashiers are next…about 20 of them will be going home. They too will be replaced by new workers under a different job title.”
She said the salaries offered to the Assistant Store Manager was far more than what the store supervisors were paid.
The workers have threatened to raise their termination with their union whom they refused to name.
Chairman of Unipet Dr Afraz Ali advised that we call Unipet’s CEO Dexter Riley for a response on the matter.
Ali said he was unaware that the employment of some of its store supervisors had been discontinued.
“That is a management thing. I chair the board. That would come to us in a board report, I would imagine at the end of this month, since it has now taken place, from what you said. The board would be notified of the circumstances of the need to let them go,” Ali said.
However, calls to Riley’s cellphone went unanswered, as he is out of the country.