Bahamas News

Pioneer Shipping Ltd. is expected to close its doors Friday, putting dozens of people out of work and ending almost three decades of operations here.

In a flyer handed out to customers, the import shipping company said it is “joining forces” with Laser International Freight Transport in order to provide better shipping logistics.

Workers said they were notified last Wednesday of the company’s decision to close its doors, effectively ending its 29-year stint here.

Two days later, dockworkers were reportedly let go.

According to Philip Kelly, a father of five, he and his Pioneer’s Master Terminal co-workers were sent packing last Friday with no compensation package and with only one week’s pay in their pockets.

“We were abused and we were treated wrongly,” he told the Journal Tuesday.

His coworker, Perry Winder, a father of a six-month-old daughter, agreed.

“This left me speechless because I have a family to take care of,” said Mr. Winder, who had been with the company for about a year.

“These people don’t care about us. We need somebody to please take a stand and try help us out.”

Alibrando Dean, who has a wife and a two-month-old son to support, said it’s a situation that has left workers’ finances strained.

“This has left us in a sticky situation because now we have bills to pay and it’s the end of the month. Most of us have mortgages. We have a family and it left us in a strain because last week’s pay was to take care of last week’s set of bills. This week’s pay is to take care of this week’s set of bills,” he said.

He told the Journal that with his one week’s pay he received a letter that was vague about the date of future compensation for workers’ abrupt termination.

“They are saying they are supposed to give us two weeks’ pay in lieu of notice, two weeks’ vacation and two weeks for the years we have been there and now they are telling us we don’t have anything to get because the company is not sold yet and when the company gets sold they’ll give us something,” Mr. Dean claimed.

“I don’t think it’s fair because we don’t have a job and we still have mouths to feed.”

The men said they have alerted the Labour Board to their plight.

Their greatest fear is once the company closes its doors Friday, there will be no way to contact their bosses about their promised compensation.

Meantime, one Pioneer office worker who still has a job – at least until Friday – said those who remain at work are “nervous wrecks” uncertain of their fate.

“Staff workers are now sitting here in limbo. They have had nothing in writing to say what they are going to get. About 35 people are going to be unemployed when the company closes,” the office worker said.

“We’ve been told verbally that there’s no money. In a meeting last week, the company said it has to sell the property first before they give out compensation packages. We’re in here nervous wrecks, uncertain of our destiny.”

The Nassau-based company isn’t the only branch closing its doors, according to an office worker, who said the Miami office closed last Friday, leaving 40 people there without a job.

Pioneer said this move is all in an effort to provide multiple shipping services in a “seamless manner” to its valued customers.

Laser International Freight and Transport is now expected to handle the consolidation of Pioneer’s container loading and logistics.

Shipped cargo will arrive in Nassau at Arawak Cay instead of Union Wharf.

Meantime customers are being told to collect all cargo at the Pioneer Union Wharf Dock facility by Friday.

The Journal was unable to reach Pioneer President Arthur Thompson for comment.

Source: Bahama Journal