Some 40 field foremen attached to the Blairmont Sugar Estate took to the picket line today calling for fair treatment and equal opportunities.
Waving placards outside of the Estate Manager’s Office, the employees say they are peeved that a 5% salary increase which was given to three foremen who they consider their junior. This means that those three foremen, with lower years of experience, are now earning more than their colleagues.
Workers say they voiced their concerns with the Estate Manager on Tuesday but were not satisfied with the outcome of that engagement.
According to information received, out of all the foremen, only 12 were given an opportunity to take a test and from this, three obtained at least 80% passes. It is these three who were given the 5% salary increase.
The field foremen say they are unaware of what criteria was used to select the 12 who got the opportunity to take the test. Moreover, they say an opportunity like this was never presented to them in all their years of working with the estate.
In fact, the protestors said the 12 who took the test were trainee foremen, and after confirmation, earned equal salaries to them.
