The Tribune

FORMER Minister of Labour Dion Foulkes called on the government to pay the 356 former employees of City Markets the $4.6 million they are owed in pension benefits before the Christmas holiday.

Speaking with The Tribune yesterday, Mr Foulkes said that Prime Minister Perry Christie should have the funds paid to the employees by the government and take the previous owners to court to recoup the $4.6 million.

“To my knowledge, when I was involved I was told that the pension fund was intact. We were never told – we spoke to the principal Mark Finlayson several times – and we were never told that it would be a requirement to sell (City Market’s headquarters) building to secure the pension funds.

That was never told to us. We received documentation to say that the pension fund was intact. So this notion that the building must be sold to pay the pensions of these workers is foreign to me as the minister who once had responsibilty of this matter,” Mr Foulkes said.

Noting that the previous FNM government made it possible through the National Insurance Board for all the workers to receive unemployment benefits, Mr Foulkes said the PLP government should do what the FNM did when they provided severance pay for the workers of the defunct Royal Oasis and Clico.

“I think the government made a lot of promises, the PLP, made a lot of promises in this matter to secure the support of City Market workers ahead of the general election campaign.

“Similar promises were made to other union leaders and the simple fact is the government doesn’t have the funds.

“The government needs to intervene immediately. Christmas is coming. These are breadwinners who are mostly women. They have children and some have grandchildren.

“The government needs to intervene immediately and provide them their severance money,” Mr Foulkes said.