Nineteen go home

From all reports, it could be that the Government's decision to end its 50-year monopoly with FLOW and move over to its competitor DIGICEL for the provision of telecommunication and ICT services, is beginning to cause some financial problems.

Information reaching the SUN indicate that effective 31 March 2021, employees of MARPIN 2k4 Ltd news production team, who transferred to FLOW when the company acquired shares from the Dominica Social Security (DSS), have been given their walking papers.

According to a source, who spoke to the SUN on the usual conditions of anonymity, at a meeting with staff and heads of the company this past Wednesday, only 11 positions were offered to the 30 employees whose positions will be made redundant at the end of the month.

Efforts at contacting FLOW's Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Baptiste, to seek confirmation and the reason for the action, were unsuccessful but our source hinted that the cause for closure of the television production department was primarily due to monetary problems.

This isn't the only instance that the telecommunication company has given employees who were transferred from MARPIN 2K4 Limited to FLOW Dominica their walking papers. A little under two years ago -February 28th 2019- sixteen employees were made redundant from the establishment that purchased the cash-strapped cable television company.

In August 2014, the sole shareholder of MARPIN 2K4 Ltd.-the Dominica Social Security (DSS) Board–made its investment in MARPIN 2K4 Ltd. available for sale. Though several other companies and individuals expressed interest in purchasing the DSS's shares, FLOW ultimately provided the DSS with the most favourable offer and maintained its interest to the very end.

On May 12th, 2017, the DSS announced that after a prolonged period of negotiations and the conducting of necessary due diligence, the ownership of MARPIN 2K4 Ltd changed hands.

Another affected source told the SUN that since the acquisition of MARPIN, working conditions have changed and while the news was devastating, it was not unexpected.

"We knew that this was coming, the question was when, and I guess the end of March is that date," the source said.

President of the Waterfront and Allied Workers Union (WAUW) Kertist Augustus who is representing the employees, did confirm that he's been informed of FLOW's action but he withheld comments saying he hasn't received official word from management but he has been promised that communication in the upcoming week.