Oranjestad, St. Eustatius- A local employee of Colorfin has been sent home today with the message that he is too heavy to carry out his job well. The sending of the worker is reason for All for 1 Union to look into the situation.

The BES-Reporter spoke to Charles Woodley of All for 1, who confirmed the incident and who said that his union is unhappy about a lot of things at the company.

“We see a tendency where local workers are being treated unfairly and are sent home for a number of reasons. For years we have been trying to sit down with Colorfin to negotiate a Collective Labor Agreement, and every time there is some excuse or the other as to why Management of Colorfin cannot meet with us”, according to Woodley.

While Woodley confirms that the employee in question is quite heavy, he also wondered if the way the company dealt with the situation was done according to the required legal regulations. “We are looking into this specific case and we are trying to establish the facts”, said Woodley. According to information from the BES-Reporter, the Company will continue to pay the employee in question, while he is home awaiting further action by the company.

Woodley says that Colorfin does not have a good track record when it comes to the treatment of (local) employees. “We have been having issues with Colorfin for the longest while, but it seems Management in Trinidad, can never find the time to come and meet with us”, according to the All for 1 interim president.

According to Woodley Colorfin in the past already asserted that none of the local workers, according to the company, was fit to work on the company’s vessels, without being able to substantiate such a claim.

Woodley also stated that the Union sees efforts on behalf of the company to bring in foreign captains to work on the boats. “Of course we would like to see our own local people employed here in Statia”, said Woodley.