The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE Tribune Business Reporter nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net LABOUR minister Dion Foulkes yesterday said he was "very concerned" about the job security for City Markets' remaining 400 employees, telling Tribune Business he hoped to meet the supermarket chain's principal by Wednesday after staff filed a trade dispute with the Department of Labour. Speculation that the five-store supermarket chain may shut its locations by Friday this week continues, although there has not yet been any formal confirmation on this move by 78 per cent majority owners,the Finlayson family. However, Mr Foulkes told Tribune Business yesterday: "I had a brief conversation with Mr Finlayson on Saturday, and he informed me that he was off the island and that as soon as he got back he would get back to me on the status of City Markets. I am hopeful that by Wednesday we would have had that discussion. "I am very concerned about the security of the jobs of workers at City Markets. The Government intends to do whatever it can to can to protect the benefits that are due the workers of City Markets." Some 200 City Markets filed a trade dispute at the Department of Labour yesterday, seeking to safeguard their compensation, pensions and other benefits. Executives of the Bahamas Commercial Stores, Supermarkets and Warehouse Workers Union (BCSWWU) have been attempting to meet with City Markets' principal, Mark Finlayson, since Friday to discuss the fate of the embattled retail chain and some 300 employees. BCSWWU administrator, Rosalie McKenzie, yesterday said the union was unable to meet with Mr Finlayson on Friday as he was reportedly out of the country. "We are hoping to get an audience with him along with the minister of labour. We still have yet to sit with anybody. Hopefully we will have some update today," Ms McKenzie said. She added: "We just briefly spoke to the staff and told them what is expected on Friday, and their concern is really how they are going to paid. That has not yet been concluded with the principals of City Markets. They are looking to suspend the business until the sign-off on the sale of the stores, so how long the suspension will be we don't know. We will see when we meet with them." The latest developments over the fate of City Markets come just days after Mr Finlayson, principal of 78 per cent majority shareholder, Finlayson family vehicle Trans-Island Traders, told Tribune Business he was negotiating with two separate international groups over the purchase of a majority stake in the struggling five-store chain. Mr Finlayson said his family, headed by Sir Garet 'Tiger' Finlayson, would "remain in" as minority equity investors regardless of who acquired majority control.