The furloghed employees of the ICED Skating Rink in San Fernando are set to receive their salaries on Monday.
In an earlier report, we would have stated that the management of Ice Caribbean Entertainment District (ICED) sacked 46 workers on Thursday 27th April and despite promising to pay them the following day, had not.
However, in a release this afternoon, the company said it had communicated with staff members on Thursday (April 27), indicating a new structure for the ICED Skating Facility and Snow Playground.
According to the company, it was due to a change in operating hours from Wednesday to Sunday from 1 pm to 9 pm, which would utilise one shift instead of two shifts.
“As such, the company made the difficult decision to temporarily furlough staff for a period of three months as a result of the new structure. During this meeting, employees were told to keep their uniforms as there is a possibility of being called out to work in the near future. Furloughed staff are free to enter the facility as guests but not as uniformed employees.”
ICED says following the three-month period, the company will review the structure and notify staff regarding their employment status.
With regards to employee uniforms, the company, via its employee contract, agreed to pay 50% for the cost of the uniforms while staff members who signed the contract agreed to cover the cost of the uniform paying the remaining 50% which accounts for the payment of TT$1,200. Via the employee contract, it was agreed by both parties that the TT$1,200 would be deducted over a 6-month period (TT$200 per month).
ICED said that all salaries will be paid via cheques on Monday 1st May 2023, noting this would be “a one-time occurrence” and that going forward, it would “utilise ACH transfer”.
EARLIER STORY:
Mere weeks after opening its doors to the public, the ICED Indoor Skating rink in San Fernando has terminated 46 employees.
However, one online news source says the exact number of terminations is 60.
According to the report, the 46-60 workers were given the axe on Thursday, 27th April and have yet to be paid their salaries, despite being told that monies would have been paid the following day.
The company, in termination letters to the affected employees, said the “cost of operating far exceeds its revenue which is not financially nor operationally viable at this time.”
The company had initially projected an influx of customers at the rink but this has not been the case forcing it to scale back on its operations by changing its two-shift system to one which would be from 1 pm-5 pm.
ICED only opened its doors on April 14th.
COMMENTS