Police had to be called in yesterday to protect the owner of a security company, contracted by Brazilian construction firm, OAS Construtora, after over 50 disgruntled guards demanded their salaries.
The group, who are employed as security officers at First Response, say their employer’s September 5 pay date had elapsed and they were not willing to wait anymore.
They formed a human barricade to prevent the company’s owner from leaving the compound in his vehicle.
The owner, Asoullina Mark, an Israeli, says he is not being paid in full by OAS Construtora — the company contracted to built the $7.2 billion Solomon Highway extension to Point Fortin — and therefore he cannot pay the workers until he does.
The T&T Guardian visited the First Response’s office yesterday, where about 30 of the employees sat on the side of the road and awaited word of their salaries, while two police vehicles remained parked in front of the office.
One security officer, Ashley Alexander, says they were made to work 72 hour shifts under poor conditions and have reached their boiling point.
“We want our money now! It has been a month-and-a- half since we last got paid and everyday they are telling us tomorrow.
“We worked from Friday night, straight until Monday morning without any relief on sites with no water and no lights,” she said.
Alexander said their employer told them there might be a slight delay in salaries for August because of the September 7 election but ten days later they were still waiting for word on when they would be paid.
“He said because of the election we would have a delay but now we are being told today, tomorrow or next day and we heard he is going to leave the country without paying us our money,” she added.
Alexander said that prompted the protest action, adding if their salaries were not paid they will take the matter to the courts.
Mark said his company had been providing security at construction sites since October 2014 but with the change in government there have been delays in collecting salaries.
“I told them we are getting the money in little pieces so I wanted to share it equally amongst all of them but there are some people who want their entire salary all at once,” he said.
Mark said the outstanding salaries amounted to over $600,000.