Director at Bhagwansingh Hardware & Steel Industry Ltd (BHSIL) Vinoo Ramoutar says while Central Trinidad Steel Ltd (Centrin) owes vacation and severance pay to its retrenched workforce, the company cannot release funds until it gets clearance from the Board of Inland Revenue (BIR).
Responding to a protest by the Steel Workers Union (SWUTT) in the aftermath of former Centrin operator David Francis’ suicide last week, Ramoutar said he has called a meeting to discuss the payment to the workers.
He said in order to pay severance, the company has to get clearance from BIR to ensure that none of the retrench workers are in arrears of taxes. Despite the company checking with BIR often, they were told last Thursday that their application for clearance was untouched.
“We have submitted within the time frame required, all the information to the Board of Inland Revenue and we have followed up, almost diligently, every couple of weeks and were told last Thursday that they have not even touched our file as yet. I am convening a meeting with some of the management to determine what is best to do.
“As part of the due to the workers, there is accrued vacation. I have spoken to the president of the Steel Workers Union, he called me last week and I told him we were putting things in place and things have been put in place. We are now waiting for a release of the funds to sort that out.
“We are also waiting on the Board of Inland Revenue to explain to us, what is the taxation involved in that accrued vacation. So it is not just a matter of writing a cheque and say I am settling this and I am settling that. In settling, we have taxation issues and the Board of Inland Revenue guidance to follow,” Ramoutar said.
While the Centrin branch of SWUTT has blamed the company for Francis’ frustration and suicide, Ramoutar said the board of directors and management were also saddened by his death. He admitted that the company sent representatives to Francis’ common-law wife, Chandrawatie Nanlal and offered to have his severance paid ahead of his colleagues, saying that the company still feels for the workers.
In an effort to cushion the unemployment of its 200-plus membership from Centrin, SWUTT called on the management to assign workers to jobs in other companies within BHSIL. Ramoutar said this was done since January, when the workers were served with retrenchment notices. However, some declined because of the travelling distances to Bhagwansingh Hardware outlets in Sea Lots and Trincity. (KF)