Ex-minister wrongly shamed
(CNS): The former health minister is no longer a director of the paving company ARCP that was named and shamed by the department of labour’s enforcement unit this week. Mario Ebanks, Department of Labour and Pensions director, said that due to staffing issues an error had been made and Mark Scotland should not have been named on the list of employers breaching labour regulations, as he apologised to the ex-minister. Scotland divested his shares in ARCP after he was elected to office and became a minister in the last UDP government and has nothing to do with the allegations against the firm for not paying employees.
“Due to the case file manager not being in office during the finalization of the List of Cases, it seems that another officer accessed a previous, and now outdated, Business Registration record, which reflected Mr Mark Scotland,” Ebanks explained. “Our records now confirm that Mr Scotland’s interest had subsequently been divested and therefore did not coincide with the date of the ongoing prosecution."
Offering his apologies to Scotland, he confirmed that the current principals are Peter Young, Samuel Young and Justin Woods.
He added, "I can also confirm that Mr Mark Scotland has been very helpful in recent months in assisting to rectify this unpaid wages matter, which has now been paid, but it was not done prior to the matter being submitted for resolution through the courts.”
A spokesperson for ARCP told CNS that the firm had begun addressing the outstanding wages last year and partial payments were being made before the matter was submitted to the courts.
Ebanks said Wednesday that the document naming and shaming employers breaching the labour laws had been amended and a correct version was now posted on the NPO website.
The former minister was erroneously named in connection with a disputed court case relating to the paving firm ARCP, where he was a former owner, along with seven other companies and their owners who are facing charges relating to various labour breaches.
Although the enforcement arm of the labour department has been naming and shaming employers who are breaking the pensions law, this is the first list released to the public of bosses whose labour law breaches have taken them to the courts.
With hundreds of employers suspected of breaking numerous labour related laws, the eight cases represent only a tiny fraction but demonstrate some action by the authorities to hold employers to account.
Island Builders Ltd, owned by Dean and Jennifer Scott, face 106 charges of Failure to Pay Overtime Pay, contrary to section 25 (1) of the Labour Law (2011 Revision). That case was mentioned in Summary Court on June 11 and was adjourned to March next year.
The former president of the CITA, Harry Lalli, is also facing 38 charges of not paying overtime, officials revealed, in relation to his company Front Door Cayman Ltd. That case was adjourned last week until next month.
Meanwhile, the owner of Sail Inn Restaurant, Mario Rankin, is facing 28 counts of failing to pay overtime and his case is expected to be back before the magistrate in January. Michael Witter’s M&R Construction has four charges against him for failing to comply with an award of a Labour Tribunal contrary to section 76 of the Labour Law (2011 Revision). This case is expected to be set for a trial date next month.
Aralco Ltd, owned by Winston Salmon, faces one charge of failing to comply with the Labour Tribunal and a trial date is expected to be set for that case next week.
Blue Eyes Granite, owned by George and Sally Craig, faces five charges of failing to comply with the Labour Tribunal. Their case has been adjourned sine die but officials said matters still remain on file.
K9 Security Services, owned by Sterling and Penny Rivers, is the only case on the list in which officials indicated that the 45 charges of failing to pay overtime had been disposed of and the cash owed paid.
See the details on the NPO Website here
Category: Politics
If Mark Scotland is no longer a shareholder orowner, why is he working with Dept of Labour to ensure back dated sums are paid? Is it because they were owing during his ownership up to now? Strange! Or is that another error on the part of Mario Ebanks?
Just saying innocent till proven quilty? Being charged doesn't mean you are quilty yet. If they had waited for the out come they would have realized the grave error
No even one apology from anyone for Mark? I didn't write anything about him, but I did give a thumbs up to someone who didn't have anything nice to say, so I apologise.
You are forgiven my son. Now go and spread the good word of this man's innocence
You know that the people that are shamed are picked out and there are others as or more guilty who get away scott free because no one will dare touch them.
8:13 you are so right!!!! There are hundreds out there doing the samething and absolutely nothing happens to them!!!! I hope Mario is happy with what he has done. If his department can't even get that straight how on earth are they even working on these cases…gives us alot of confidence doesn't it…Mario knew damn well what happened he has to sign on everything that goes out of that department, so he can blame his staff but he had to approve everything when it leaves!!!
Poor Little Markie…
They were saying bad things about him as if he did anything wrong in his life…
Imagine…
The only fair recompense is that he is allowed to be a govt minister while owning a company that bids on gover….. Oh. Never mind
Those poor little rich brothers, Sammy and Peter. There must be a mistake. This is a plot to destroy the UDP members and tell lies on them including the Cohen Fiasco. Those boys hands are clean and their hearts are pure.
Justin woods for Bodden town (imagine if he really had got in)!!!!
Can You Believe this:
The Department of Labour & Pensions boss said, that "due to staffing issues an error had been made" and Mark Scotland "should not have been named" on the list of employers breaching labour regulations, "As He Apologized to The Ex-minister" What his reply should have been was: This thing happened under my watch and I take full responsibility!
Because "staffing issues" didn't make the decision to go forward before due diligence had been given to every aspect of the evidence brought before the court.
There is a famous story about a law suit filed by a prosecuting attorney that caused the State of Texas to pay-out millions of dollars. The story goes that the prosecutor brought the case against the company in question, in spite of questionable evidence on which he based his filing! The case goes to court, and the prosecutor was so embarrassed he apologized to the owner of the company, after the Judge ruled that the case should never have come before the court, and was summarily dismissed.
He! The Judge, then turned to the accused and asked if there was anything he wished to say. The gentleman lowered his head, paused for a moment, and as his gaze returned to the judge, he said: Your Honor! I feel it necessary to apologize that your time, my time and The Courts time was wasted today, because this thing should never have been brought before you. But! This is What Happens When People Are Promoted To Their Level Of Incompetence.
The point here is: Take time check your facts before rushing off to get someone! The sadness about this situation is that when these things happen, they leave our government [like the state of Texas] in a vulnerable position and open to a law suit.
Blaming it on, "staffing issues" which caused an error to be made! Won't save us.
THINK
The Director of Labour and Pensions should now have his entire dept come under the investigative microscope. This is not the first time and it wont be his last. But since it is staffed by RCIP rejects we can all be assured incompetence will continue to rule under Mario's watch and foolishness such as a bad choice of words for the excuse will prevail. We must hold everyone accountable for their incompetence. A phone call or email to Mark would have saved face. But watch and see how we promote those for being competent about their incompetence.
They should be sued for slandering his name….Now who look shame just the idiots who sent out the wrong news about they want to name and shame…SHAME ON YOU !!!!
Poor Peter and Samuel.
Sail Inn and its owners is as rotten as it comes. When they closed down in May 2013 they left owing the staff thousands upon thousands of dollars. They gave no notice, paid no severance nor accrued vacation pay, nor the final weeks pay, nothing.
I hope the courts run this to the bitter end. They had basically 15 to 20 people unpaid for the past two weeks and out of work which included a lady 8 months pregnant. Cruel, inhumane people. I honestly hope they get whats coming to them and then some.
The staff tried to take him to court but many were broke and unable to maintain the constant expenses of chasing him and the courts are rediculous in all their excessive red tape. They create the red tape so they can make more money not realising or possibly caring about JUSTICE which should be their mandate.
Funny how the UDP smell is still in the air.
Time for another block for the Ferrari lol
Sadly, this is not surprising. Mario shoots from the hip and doesnt always understand the implications of his own actions. As Scotland is now a private citizen, he is entitled to sue for the defamation of character. Well, at least on this occasion! On another note, one cannot help but see the irony that Mario is pleading a labour shortage in his office as to the reason for the grave error. Perhaps he should hire some of those lovely candidates from his list he keeps. Surely before you publicly name anyone in such a manner you take a tip from Santa and check your list and check it twice!
I just realized what you said is true, Mario claiming that his Office of Labour and Pensions was suffering from a labour shortage – Lol! You can't write comedy like this!
What a hipster-duffus answer that was Mario E.