Cotton Bay Village Resort.
Some 35 persons who were made redundant by the Cotton Bay Village Resort in February are planning to take legal action against the company over non-payment issues.
A former employee told St. Lucia News Online (SNO) today (May 4) that the no one from the group of employees who were issued termination letters on Saturday, Feb. 28, have received a single payment.
The source said that all employees were told that they would have each received a severance package no later than March, but it is now over two months since no one has contacted them about it.
The group will be meeting with a local attorney soon, to file a lawsuit against the company. At present, they are submitting their contracts to the lawyer, who is building a case to represent them all.
The former employee said they met with the Labour Department and nothing positive came out of the last meeting. The Labour Department also promised to update them, but the former employees claim that whenever they call, no one seems to know what is going on.
Termination letters were issued to employees three hours after a story about the resort’s closure was published by SNO. “I believe that was a tactic to distract people, because after it appeared in the news they wanted to show that they would pay, but up to now nothing,” one person said.
Employees were expected to receive different sums, based on their years of service with the resort.
Employees with continuous employment of one to three years are expected to receive one week severance per year. Those with continuous employment of four to seven years are to be issued with two weeks’ severance per year and those with eight years and more years, will receive three weeks’ severance per year.
Employees are also expected to be paid accrued vacation and wages up to their last day of employment.
The hotel and restaurant operations have been closed, but the condos are still operational. Reports are that about eight staff members working with the owners of these condos.
Efforts to reach company officials for a comment have so far proved futile.