Labour Minister Manzoor Nadir has told Stabroek Business that his Ministry is preparing to take legal action against Prime Security, the former employer of a number of security guards who were sent home in the wake of the spectacular collapse of Clico (Guyana) earlier this year.
Nadir announced that he had directed Chief Labour and Occupational Safety and Health Officer
Yoganand Persaud to move to the courts against Prime Security and Persaud later confirmed that the Ministry was in the process of preparing the requisite legal charges against the security firm. Persaud said that the move to the courts was in response to representation made to the Ministry by twelve former members of the security service who are protesting both the manner of their dismissal and the non-payment of monies due to them representing wages and terminal benefits due to them.
Controversy had arisen over whether Clico itself was not the substantive employee of the former security guards and Guyana Trades Union Congress Acting General Secretary Norris Witter had told this newspaper that it was his understanding that Clico and not Prime Security was responsible for meeting the outstanding payments to the dismissed guards. However, Persaud, an attorney-at– law, said that it had been determined that it was Prime Security and not Clico that was the guards’ employer and the liable party.
Even as the Ministry was preparing to move to the courts, however, there appeared to be uncertainty over whether or not Prime Security continues to exist. Persaud told Stabroek Business that the Ministry had met last week with former Clico General Manager Geeta Singh-Knight, who is listed as one of two Directors of Prime Security. The other named Director is Claudis Dacon who resides in Trinidad and Tobago.
This newspaper has learnt from a source close to the continually unfolding Clico saga that during her meeting with the Labour Ministry last week it had been suggested to Singh-Knight that arrangements be made to have the former guards’ claims verified and settled. However, Singh-Knight reportedly told the meeting that she had resigned as Secretary to the Prime Security Board and as a Board member. Persaud declined to disclose details of the Ministry’s discussion with Singh-Knight.
The source pointed out that despite the move to the courts by the Ministry the matter of how the former guards’ claims will be settled will remain an issue assuming that Ms. Singh-Knight is no longer connected to Prime Security. This newspaper understands, However, that the Labour Ministry still intends to serve Singh-Knight with the legal documents, she being the only person named in the records of the Deeds Registry as a Board member of Prime Security who is resident in Guyana.
Persaud told Stabroek Business that the Ministry was committed to representing the former Prime Security employees who have been staging protests outside Clico’s Camp Street office and in front of Parliament Buildings. According to Persaud while the Labour Ministry had been in receipt of just twelve formal complaints more of the former Prime Security personnel were welcome to submit individual cases to the Ministry.
Meanwhile, Persaud told Stabroek Business that the possibility of legal action by his Ministry against Clico in respect of its former employees who have been made redundant could not be ruled out. He said that while Clico had acted within the confines of the law by writing to the Ministry giving notice of its intention to terminate the employees’ services, the issue of the payment of their outstanding salaries remained to be resolved.
