No health plan, a fifty percent pay cut yet to be adjusted three years later, a small salary, and retired staff being rehired – these are among the “harsh” conditions workers at the DCP Successors Ltd say they are experiencing daily at the company alleged to be dishing out “poor treatment” to the majority of its staff.
The company is facing hurdles that the workers there are aware of, but they insist that even under such circumstances, they deserve better treatment.
So what is the situation that DCP Successors Ltd finds itself saddled with.
The company has suffered from the ravages of two major storms: Tropical Storm Erika in 2015, followed by Hurricane Maria in 2017.
The result, having to shut down for major cleaning operations.
However a determined DCP Successors Limited was able to reopen in 2019, doing business with the local and regional markets.
According to General Manager, Damien Sorhaindo, the company was acquired from Colgate Palmolive in May 2017 and they were in the process of rehabilitating the company which suffered millions of dollars in damages after Tropical Storm Erika when Hurricane Maria came angrily rocking the country to its core and the soap company again found itself at the mercy of nature’s wrath.
Its employees who helped the beleaguered company get back on its feet argue that these efforts should have been better recognized. DCP Successors has a staff of 37 at present.
Some of those who spoke anonymously to Nature Isle News (NIN) complained that they have been treated badly and unfairly.
“Since we commenced operations, the company has no health plans and that has remained so till now. As staff, we were told that things are bad and in order for us to be rehired, we had to take a fifty percent pay cut and so we all as staff agreed to that but guess what, three years after the passage of Hurricane Maria, our salary is yet to be adjusted and the company is doing well,” they told the publication, warning that they were speaking on strict anonymity.
“The salary is small, we have bills and loans to be paid, school books, children to feed and to send to school…this is not fair to us. Added to that, we see the in your face situation, where management has rehired several of its retired staff who are getting a pension and hefty salaries.”
“It’s a dog eat dog situation at the company where you have to look out for yourself, backbiting, carry go and carry come tales to management. We are suffering and need help,” they stated.
Kertist Augustus, the General Secretary of the Waterfront & Allied Workers Union (WAWU) confirmed that previously his union represented the staff but since the new company, they are unrepresented. “My field officer is on the ground meeting with them and trying to get us to be the union but it’s taking some time,” he explained.
However, General Manager Sorhaindo is refuting those comments.
“Nothing that was stated is factual, but if you want to run a story you can do so. We’re not about to comment on any anonymous grievances made by disgruntled former employees or employees. We, as management have an open door policy and I always invite staff to come to me or any of the managers if they have any issues,” Sorhaindo said.
The “aggrieved” workers are maintaining their position that they are facing hard times at DCP Successors, and say they are praying for the kind of change that will bring better working conditions and a more worker-friendly environment.