Broomes finds poor conditions, labour violations during inspection of Regent St businesses

Junior Social Protection Minister Simona Broomes and officials from the labour department yesterday conducted a surprise inspection of stores along Regent Street, Georgetown and uncovered poor working conditions and labour law violations that she said would not be tolerated.

“Workers are being violated, most of the environments people work in are below the standard and it ought not to be and therefore has to change,” Broomes told reporters afterward, while noting that labour laws are being violated across the board.

The surprise inspection is part of an ongoing campaign to enforce labour laws.

Minister Simona Broomes (centre) and team on Regent Street as they inspected stores and interacted with employees. (GINA photo)
Minister Simona Broomes (centre) and team on Regent Street as they inspected stores and interacted with employees. (GINA photo)

Broomes, who said some 503 inspections have been done since her appointment, noted that she has discovered that problems faced by workers have their root in a lack of compliance with the labour laws. “…Compliance is a must and if one fails to obey the law we will have to move to the other stage,” she said.

According to Broomes, since her appointment there have been over 200 complaints made by employees from various organisations who are afraid to speak out about rights violations.

During the inspection, the team encountered mixed reactions as it interacted with both employees and their employers about problems faced and compliance with the law.

While some said they had no comment, many spoke out when questioned about their wages, the right to annual leave and their entitlements to a lunch hour.

Many employees, in particular, highlighted that while money is deducted from their salaries for the National Insurance Scheme (NIS), the deductions are not being paid over.

Other issues discovered by the minister included the fact that many of the stores have only one exit, no fire extinguishers, no first aid kits, no lunchroom area, while workers are being paid salaries without signing for payments and without pay slips being provided.

Many of the stores are owned by Chinese or Indian nationals, who were hesitant about interacting with the minister as they stated that they did not know English.

“Y’all stop this drama thing that y’all don’t understand English. Y’all know good English because how you know to tell me you selling hats. Show me the books with the records of how you pay your staff,” Broomes told one Chinese proprietor who appeared displeased at the visit and was hesitant about interacting.

A case of labour trafficking was also suspected at a store that sells clothing and footwear.

The supervisor of the store, when asked, was unable to say what his salary was. He explained that his uncle brought him from India to assist in the running of the store but he does not receive a salary; rather, when necessary, he requests that money be sent to his family. The store is run by an Indian national.

Broomes promised to look into the case and have it thoroughly investigated.

The team also discovered that a worker who was employed over the past six years by a fashion store never proceeded on annual leave and continues to work six days a week without payment for overtime as is required by law.

Other employees who had over 20 years of experience also said that they were underpaid and even though they realised it they were afraid to speak out since they feared having to find other jobs and start over.

Broomes urged all employers to fix the many issues affecting their staff as soon as possible or they will have to face the full force of the law over the violations.

The inspections by her department, she noted, would be conducted countrywide.

She said officers are being sent to different locations to conduct inspections. “I myself want to visit some special areas that I am trying to make time and efforts to go out and be a part of the inspection,” she said.

She also reported that since her appointment there were 307 reported cases from the sugar industry where workers were injured on the job, along with 15 fatalities from mining pit cave-ins.

Broomes noted too that over $16M has been handed over from companies that owed employees that had given up hope about receiving anything. It was also noted that some employees who were owed $200,000 and over received their payments.

At a cambio that she visited yesterday, the team found a counter clerk that was sent on leave and faced with the prospect of moving to the court but the owner agreed to resolve the matter by paying the over $30,000 that was owed. (Sharda Bacchus)