Many employment contracts give workers information about termination policies. Some of these employment documents may even detail what severance an employee may be entitled to upon losing his or her job. An Atlanta-based firm has found itself at the heart of a dispute surrounding this very topic.
For the last 20 years, BAS Serco has been providing airport services such as ground electronics, Bermuda Weather Service and air traffic control. Last October, an announcement was made that the Atlanta-based firm, CI², would take over those services, replacing BAS Serco. CI², which offers similar services in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, stated that it would keep the 40 staff members employed with BAS Serco. The president of CI² noted that the current workers in Bermuda will play an important role in the airport’s future.
At the end of March this year, those staff from BAS Serco, will be transferred. People who are members of the Bermuda Public Services Union are supposed to be paid from the outgoing contractor before heading to the new operation. Staff members claim that they should receive redundancy benefits prior to starting their new roles at the new company.
Currently, both parties have remained quiet regarding the details of this dispute. Further, it is unclear as to whether the dispute over the benefits will derail the transfer of the employees. Issues such as this are of great importance to both the workers and the companies involved. Anytime situations such as this arise, it is imperative to seek the advice of an attorney.
Source: The Royal Gazette, “BAS staff want severance pay before transfer,” Raymond Hainey, March 8, 2016
