Andre' Williams, STAR Writer

A group of disgruntled shipping workers are demanding compensation after learning by way of media reports that their positions at their place of employment became redundant, as their employer had sold the company without their knowledge.

THE STAR understands that the sale exercise was completed in February and to date several workers are still seeking redress as their lives have been gravely affected, with many still unemployed.

A former employee of the shipping company, Miguel Lawrencetold our news team that he is owed thousands of dollars.

Lawrence said, "Right now di boss owe we thousands of dollars, mounting to over a million dollar. They gave us no notice, most of us heard about it in the media suh we know di company was sold."

Another worker told THE STAR that since then he has had difficulties in receiving what was owed to him and that constant runaround by his former employer has caused them to seek the intervention of the Ministry of Labour.

He said, "everytime we link him, him a say him can't talk now, can't deal with that ya now."

The angry employee told THE STAR that although he was not paid, to his knowledge, some workers were compensated and that others got job placements by another employer.

He said, "The Kingston wharfs required a few of our services the ones that were paid are not working and the ones who were not paid are working with the wharf"

THE STAR was also told that with the intervention of the ministry, meetings have been held, however, progress is still at a snails pace.

Lawrence said, "After one of the meeting with the ministry mi ask him infront the woman when me can get mi money and him say him nuh have nuh money fi gi mi cause him owe Kingston wharf ... after dem do we so bad, no word no notice, nothing on paper bout the sale so we could prepare ..."

When THE STAR contacted the Ministry of Labour, the shipping workers' issue was confirmed.

The representative at the ministry who asked not to be named, told our news team that proof of sale was published in the media.

THE STAR was further told that several complaints were made to the ministry and a formal claim has been made.

According to the ministry, the positions of the workers became redundant when it was sold and as such they are entitled to a package on the basis that they have worked a minimum of 104 weeks with the company.

When contacted, a former director of the sold shipping company, who apparently is with another shipping agency told THE STAR, "We have no comment on that ... ."