Imagine having children to feed, debt obligations to meet and bills to pay but you have no money although you have been ‘working.’
This is the plight of Caribbean Call Centre (CCC) employees who have expressed extreme displeasure at what they said are unsatisfactory working conditions at the company.
Two employees and one former employee, who have opted to remain anonymous, visited DNO’s office on Tuesday, to discuss their experience at CCC.
All three complained of underpayment, stating that in the contractual agreement, employees were to be paid $450 fortnightly; yet, they had each been paid less than $250, after being employed for at least two months.
“It’s something that needs to be dealt with, ASAP, because a lot of us have children, we have bills to pay. We have to make up excuses to tell our creditors, people we owe money, we have to be telling them stories that we didn’t get paid,” they lamented. “It’s tiring, really.”
The former employee said that in a document signed by the manager, it was mandated that employees were to be paid during their training period. However, all three stated that they received less than the required week of training, and had not been paid for that period.
The employees, both female, stated that they were unsure of their status of employment, as staff was advised by management, in a memorandum sent on June 10, to “be informed that due to the financial issue we are having of non-salary payment, the Call Centre will cease operation for the next three working days. We are working to rectify the problem in the quickest possible time and request your presence on Tuesday 14th June, time will be communicated before the said date.”
The pair told DNO that they have not received any further information relating to the meeting from the Call Centre.
The group also spoke of spontaneous shift changes.
“The shifts change rapidly. Most every day we change shifts. They will either message you, or just come on the floor, take you out, grab you, and just put you somewhere else,” the former employee stated.
Additionally, they highlighted poor communication between staff and the administrative body of the establishment.
The employees revealed that they had been blocked by their employer, Helene Castran, on WhatsApp, for sending polite messages—among them: “Good morning, Miss Castran. How are you today? Hope all is well. God Bless.”
They said that neither the proprietor of the establishment nor the administrator, Nighdy Williams, could be contacted.
Some employees have sent a letter describing their working conditions to the Labour Commissioner and said that they were told to have patience.
They also announced plans to take legal action against the establishment if the matter is not expeditiously dealt with by the Labour Division.
And to ccc employee.You said she gave second chances. Why didnt she hired the person who she claimed begged for her job 3 times that said her business was a fraud. People keep your eyes open
So let me try to understand your story:
1 st red flag: not being paid for training after being promised that you would
2nd red flag: not being paid for actual production time
3rd red flag: management refuses to speak to you and even blocks communication
more red flags: the wage, working conditions, bringing your own equipment, closing down cause they can’t meet payment obligations.
yet you people continued to consider yourself part of a legitimate company? shame on this company for taking advantage but shame on you people for even allowing yourselves to be manipulated so easily and for so long.
I’m sure most of you here remember the story of Collywood and Junior Hart? Here let me refresh your memory: https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/general/former-collywood-actors-cry-foul/
I’m not afraid to look like an idiot.
–Anthony Bourdain
Thinking idiot
DOMINICANS….yall jus plain wicked…. the PUBLIC WORKS CORPORATION employees have not been paid for THREE MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! don’t they have children?????????? Don’t you young people see that you are NO WHERE on the list of interest. THERE ARE NO UNIONS with the strength to represent your interests.
In that respect I think Mr. Savarin deserves the presidency. because he was the LAST of the effective union leaders here in Dominica. it would seem that the mold was broken after he was made…. these unions headed by letang, augustus etc etc etc are basically toothless…
sad to say the young lady who went on the radio who as the one putting the less effort into work alway late, cant even read her dam script properly, not even intrested in trying as for the young man mr it wat a perfect it man eh cudnt fix nothing properly……… wud fix a problem nw yet still the other it guy wud still have to redo wat he jus did. yet there they never fire him ms castren believe everybody deserve a chance. bt they are the ones you went out to media. but peope who actually made and effort to work still havent lashed they still waiting cuz its a form of income 450 better dan sitting home wit no job. n dr a many places who pay less dan that. i hope everybody dat saying they did great chip in a pay dem something all the time they are unemployed. helen tried and the little instance he met an obstacle she was tanished for it. she still have her job but the 60 sumthing ppl job less in a country that has the 3rd highest unemployment rate.
You can not be a CCC employee because your English is incomprehensible I think you are a fake
cont’d…….if ms castren didnt care you think she would be on her knees scrubing and painting to ensure the company open on time.. caribbean call center started as call center caribie with ppl working from home on commision and drs was never a problem for pay. ms castren reached out to help out with a form of income after ts erkica……as she is from petite savane and saw it as a means of helping. ok the company met a hic cup and payments couldnt be made maybe more should have been said…..at the same instance ms helen fell sick drs nothing much she cud have done but as soon as she got better she started working towards figureing out payments………… ms helen was answering to someome as well she was jus the middle person………the money for payment wasnt coming from her directly all she was trying to do was put money in our pockets
why you didnt come on the media to tell you story…
empty barrels make the most noise. everybody was aware of there working conditions b4 signing their contracts. they were aware the the company is new and its a work in progress and that there would be alot of changes. everybody was told to have patience and grow with the company. every employee was told to bring there own equipment bcuz the computers wasnt dr as yet. its not ms castran fault our country so back wards that nothing cant get to dominica straight it have to make a ring a rosie. ms castran told ppl straight up how things where and if she have no infor she would not say anything. like she said equipment wud come and the first set of computers did come. shifts changed constanlty bcuz not all the campaign were good cant keep something thats not bringing an income. the company it self was on probation all ms castren was trying to do is create a form of employment.
@ ccc employee you are too wicked and malicious.
Are you an employee for true? With such atrocious English I am not surprised that company could not work. I would put the phone, down on you.
Just be quiet. It have to bea some team lead to talk that rubbish. So why the hell she cannot pay them employees and cannot be seen. She knows who she has to pay. Cuz some ppl wasnt taking her nonsense. I hope u self get paid. You are being very heartless and selfish. Is ppl so they can sell.
And take note i used to work at CCC before u. So know what u saying
So what about the payment which is still yet to be received. Is that a work in progress as well?
so did the contract say that the staff will not be getting paid? That’s total B.S. The staff worked for their money, they should get PAID!!!
You are talking like that because you are one of the employer woman. shate!!!
Could it be that too many persons were employed to quivkly by the company? Hence the problems with payment.
This is a management issue. Its Dominicans abusing other Dominicans. People that are not qualified to manage that somehow have attained those positions at the expense of hardworking employees!
Furthermore the pay rate is disgustingly low. Its used to force people to do overtime without having to hire more employees.
Terrible, sounds almost like one of those sweatshops in Bangladesh.
I agree with you hundred person also those in management have an attitude.It hurts me to see those who are qualified has the lowest position and those who are not qualified are the ones managing
“Call centers already don’t have the best of reputations”(Me).
Well, it all depends on what you are talking about in regards to reputation. The slaver labor in Dominica has nothing to do with the services rendered by these call centers which are nothing more than a messenger between a company and consumer.
If I bought some home appliances, and developed some issues, there will be a number for me to call, which most likely will be that of a call center to where I will register my complaint, the call center relays my complaint to the manufacture who in turn will arrange to resolve the issue.
A call Center in the Philippines or Dominica has no authority in the United States they are only a conduit for relaying messages. And mind you if there is a Call center with employees sitting at a desk with pen and paper in front of computer, that spells bad news!
They are not supposed to document any information given to them on paper, hence they could use that information to commit…
you know what is ad about that whole thing again? You have not heard the champion for poor people ( Mr. Skeritt) come out and say anything about that. After all, it h been 5 days and I know he must have heard something about it. We are being taken for a ride and treated in fools and beggars in Dominica and the authority don’t see it fit to speak out on behalf of the people, If anything they help do the same. Just take a look at how they treat the people at public works and you can tell if the workers at CCC will get any help. It is a sad and shameful position we’ve put ourselves in but I hope one day and I repeat ONE DAY the people will stand up.
CCC employees are you all really speaking the truth if u all were employed at the end of April – how can the company owe u for two months work and you all are claiming for two fortnight as of June 10th. While i do not fault the staff – but in the end the over 60 people that they claimed are employed will be left with nothing after they are paid their salary cause the people will have no choice but to shut down operation. Was it worth it to shut down or to be patience as was advice from Labour division and wait on pay. smh
How can you change shift most everyday, how can you allow someone to just crap you and not complain, why sign a contract or accept a job that says you wont be paid for training which is up to a week then complain about it. If the office is closed how can you reach the administrator. I have read both articles and so many questions are left unanswered even from the employees. If you want justification then be upfront and truthful cause a lie ALWAYS comes back and bite us. We are not hurting Caribbean Call Centre we are hurting the over 60 people they claimed to be employed. SMH
some employees were employed from march! who you stay in a company that’s exploiting you?
It is hard for the workers, and my heart aches just by reading the story.No worker can be at easy in this working condition.But friends, do we really believe Caribbean Call Center is making several millions in profit and at the same time willfully inflicting pain on the poor workers.? I don’t think management would be so wicked. Maybe they are feeling sorry like all of us do but financially just cannot meet their commitmens. Also it could be the company or companies C.C.C. are serving, are going through some tough times too, we just don’t know.May be the only choice for C.C.C. is to close down their operation in Dominica,which is far worse for the whole country.
I could be wrong,this is my opinion.There is nothing Dominica is producing that you cannot go in an other country and get it done cheaper.
From the time I know myself Dominicans have been migrating to other countries seeking greener pastures.At the same time no one is coming DA except Haitians.
I think the biggest issue for these workers was management’s reluctance to communicate. Posting a memo saying you can’t pay is insufficient unless you have follow up talks and in-person discussions with your staff. That shows your workers you are genuinely sorry to put them through this. But when you are blocking or ignoring your people’s attempts to reach out to you, that is the point where it becomes rude, inconsiderate and wicked.
Hmph….I think that the employees of the call center should have waited to hear what happening on Tuesday June 14, before running to the media.
If after the meeting their concerns were still not rectified, then they should have sought union representation. Although it’s been my experience that this sort of companies don’t appreciate their employees joining a union. I can remember way back when in the days of Offshore Keyboarding Corporation. That was in the early 1990s, I had a little flex that used to work there….
Look expoitation! smh.
…. crap….. dont u think they waited? try getting ur information straight before u jump to conclusions. there was no meeting that is why the went to the media. am happy to see the youth of Dominica taking a stand of there own.
How much longer did you want them to wait? Until Courts, Credit Union and Fast Cash have their name in court and newspaper? The article clearly says they were underpaid over the course of two months. Dominicans too like to wait and wait and wait. I’m glad these people knew how to stand up to nonsense and let this employer know they were fed up.
I feel badly for the employees and there is no question they should be paid for the work that they have done. Having said that, if they are not happy with their working condition, they have the option to quit and find alternative employment. There is no point in working for a company and not get paid what you are due.
Helene Castran is a fantasists but good a self publicity. Call centres already don’t have the best of reputations but she certainly does not help matters. She should never have been allowed to set up business here but perhaps P.M. was persuaded by the prospect of a claim of creating new jobs and lowering the unemployment figure?
Please stop being daft.. The prime minister of Dominica support Clear Harbor Ltd, he had no part in the start of CCC.. #smh