The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

A trade union leader yesterday urged employers whose businesses remain closed or inoperable following Hurricane Matthew to continue paying their employees as a “sign of good faith”.

Obie Ferguson, the Trade Union Congress (TUC) president, acknowledged that while employers are under no obligation to do so, such an act would be a noble humanitarian gesture.

“There is no obligation on the employer to pay for an act of God or, alternatively, a catastrophe,” he said. “Ultimately, there is no obligation for the employer to pay. The employer can do something very similar to what I’m doing, but there is no obligation to pay.”

Mr Ferguson said his law office has been closed for the past fortnight, adding: “My office has not had electricity in two weeks.

“The office isn’t open right now, but I’m still paying my staff.

“I think that this is a good time to demonstrate something positive towards the workers, those companies where they had to close due to the electricity issue.”

He added: “I would suggest that they pay the workers for that period as an example of good faith and to assist them. This was not something that they anticipated or, in most cases, plan for because the average worker doesn’t have access to that kind of cash.

“Even though they may appear to be insignificant, it is significant depending on the situation.

“This hurricane has impacted every single person in this country to some degree. I think that we, as employers in some instances, can demonstrate the humanitarian situation as it relates to our workers.”