Diamonds International fired staff gets union backing

The General Secretary of the Antigua Trades and Labour Union (AT&LU) Hugh Joseph said a letter has been sent to the Labour Commissioner on behalf of the three Diamonds International workers who were unjustly terminated.
Joseph explained that the conditions under the trio’s sacking is not acceptable for any person employed in Antigua and Barbuda as the reason he was given – failure to meet sales targets- is unfair.
“You have no scientific means by which you arrive at those targets, targets are set by individual managers, it’s just as if managers pull targets out of their head or out of a hat, that is not acceptable,” Joseph said.
The letter was sent on May 17, one day after the workers’ dismissals became public and Joseph said the union representatives are waiting on the Labour Department to convene a meeting that would see the unfair dismissal withdrawn.
“And to say you are going to terminate which is the ultimate penalty an employee can pay – to lose their jobs – because I’m not meeting targets, something which I have no control over, in terms of persons spending their money, “Joseph said.
There have also been reports of other employees receiving letters which stipulated that unmet sales targets would result in disciplinary action.
If the trend continues the management would also take severe actions that include termination of employment, an action Joseph said would not be tolerated.