Courts sends home seven

Seven persons have been sent home from COURTS St Vincent Limited, including a person who has worked at the company for 30 years, dating back to when it was owned by T. Geddes Grant Limited.{{more}}

SEARCHLIGHT understands that at around 10 am on Tuesday, March 24, the unfortunate employees were told that they had one hour to pack their personal belongings and vacate the premises.

“After working there for all these years, is one thing for them to lay me off, but they made me feel like if I was a criminal, as though I did something wrong,” one of the laid off employees told SEARCHLIGHT.

The General Manger of COURTS OECS, Malcolm Burns, came to deliver the news to those terminated.

When we contacted Edward Newman, the General Manager of COURTS St Vincent, he said that all comments regarding the action taken should be directed to the head office in St Lucia.

Speaking to SEARCHLIGHT from her St Lucia office on Wednesday, March 25, the company’s Director of Marketing Lorraine Sidonie confirmed that similar actions are scheduled for the other islands in which COURTS operates in the OECS.

Sidonie said that only St Kitts and Nevis will escape staff reductions for now.

Sidonie told SEARCHLIGHT that the positions have been made redundant as part of COURTS OECS’ cost reduction initiatives as they address the current and anticipated volume of business.

She said that it is unlikely that more than 60 persons will be affected, and stressed that COURTS is committed to keeping the job loss numbers as low as possible.

Sidonie told SEARCHLIGHT that a more comprehensive press release will be issued next week, when all the persons affected by company’s downsizing operations have been informed of their situation. She said that the press release will also address other concerns that have been raised, including the manner in which the persons were sent home. (KJ)