Former workers of Brazilian construction firm, Construtora OAS, who are owed salaries, severance and fringe benefits because of queries of their working contracts, may still get their dues.
Chairman of NIDCO, Herbert George said once their names could be verified from the bundle of documents left by OAS, the company which had been hired to construct the $7.2 b Solomon Hochoy Highway extension to Pt Fortin, they will get their cheques.
The company’s contract was subsequently terminated after it failed to complete work on time.
However, relatives of workers who died after the company’s contract was terminated, might not be so lucky. George said they will not get a cent unless they produce a letter of administration to NIDCO proving they were in charge of the deceased person’s estate.
Since Friday, NIDCO has been paying the entire severance payment and 50 per cent of fringe benefits to workers, which amount to $28.7 million.
In an interview on Monday, George said it was reasonable to ask for such documents because NIDCO had an obligation to verify whether contracts were genuine before making a payout. He admitted that some workers had been turned away for failing to produce an original I Owe You (IOU), from OAS which acknowledged the debt owed.
“The OAS logo is red and some of them have submitted documents with black logos which indicate it was copied. In some cases the signature was questioned. When we get these documents, we will go through the bundles and see if there is a duplicate. Once we have done so, we will honour the payments but we will have to verify before we pay,” George said.
He added that NIDCO was not out to deny anyone their just dues.
“Our aim is not to deny anyone but we have to be shrewd and be careful so that we are not taken advantage of. Information must be genuine,” George said.
He noted that much of the difficulties was caused because NIDCO was never privy to the contract OAS had with workers.
Meanwhile, shop steward of the Oilfields Workers’ Trade Union Hosein Mohammed accused NIDCO of making things difficult for the workers. Mohammed, a father of four, said many workers had received IOU’s with a black logo.
“The signature was a scanned signature not an original signature. That is what we got from OAS yet NIDCO saying those documents cannot work,” Hosein said. He added that the wife of a deceased worker did not have $3,000 to get a letter of administration.
“What they are asking for is totally ridiculous. It is one hurdle after the next for us. It is disheartening that we are getting only 30 to 35 per cent of what is owed to us,” Mohammed said.
Told that NIDCO did not intend to make a second payment, Mohammed said this is against the law.
“According to the industrial law, once an entity decides to start to pay, they have to pay the total figure owed. There are certain brackets under the industrial law act and once they take responsibility to pay, they are mandated by law to pay. If they decide not to pay they are breaking the law,” Mohammed said.
Roughly 300 workers were expected to collect cheques on Monday. Yesterday was the last day that NIDCO will be on site.
