A former employee of Aquapure has filed a dispute with the Department of Labour through the Bahamas Beverage Water Distributors Union. This adds to the list of former employees making claims of unfair treatment against them by the company.
The (Nassau) Guardian reported several months ago that the company was hauled before the Industrial Tribunal this past summer where a slew of complaints ranging from unfair dismissal to failure to pay severance were reviewed. Those matters are still ongoing.
In the latest conflict the company terminated the Chief Shop Steward of the BBWDU Lamar Saunders who was employed with the company for 19 years. Mr Saunders complained to the Nassau Guardian that he was unfairly dismissed after he produced a medical document for a leave of absence for eight to nine weeks to take care of a back injury he sustained on the job.
“Its like a slap in the face. They are not concerned with you or your health. Its like you’re just not valuable to the company,” said Mr Saunders.
Mr Saunders added, “These are the same people that encouraged me to go and check out my back, telling me it was very important.” As a result of his work related injury, Mr Saunders said he is required to have surgery on his back in January.
Aquapure is claiming Mr Saunders voluntarily “abandoned his post” and terminated him on that basis in September. According to Mr Saunders, Aquapure disapproved of the amount of time he had requested off despite providing them with a medical leave of absence and x-rays to substantiate his injuries. This was indicated by them asking him to report to work before the amount of time he was given off by his doctor was up. Efforts to contact Director of Aquapure John McSweeney proved futile up to press time.
Mr Moss who said he was in receipt of documents to validate Mr Saunders’ claims, backed his complaints. The union chief said he is also fed up with Aquapure which he said was hiding behind its lawyer while its terminated employees suffered.
“What we have noticed that Aquapure does to its employees is when [they] are separated from the organisation they simply do not pay them the necessary severance they are entitled to,” said Mr Moss.
He said they get around this by summarily dismissing their employees which excuses them from paying this.
By: BARRY WILLIAMS, The Nassau Guardian
