SM Jaleel to Cut Salaries, Reduce Working Hours Amid COVID-19

Hundreds of workers at the most crucial producer of non-alcoholic drinks within the English-talking Caribbean SM Jaleel will cop a pay freeze under new pay deals, that will reduce salaries and hours of labour of some employees as the company make several modifications at some point of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Base salaries of personnel on the Otaheite Industrial Estate in South Oropouche plant can be slashed and their paintings hours decreased from eight to seven Mondays to Fridays and 5 hours on Saturdays.

SM Jaleel’s Vice President Human Resources Zaid Cassim, via a memo dated on April 16th, said that those new measures would begin throughout April to July 2020, after which there may be a review by way of management.

SM Jaleel published a press release pronouncing that their nearby exports have additionally been severely impacted because of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in islands which are dependent on cruise ship tourism.

As a result of the stark warning of the stress on wages across the economy, the company stated there were consultations on salary discounts and lay-off of the body of workers in its export logistics and export production departments.

SM Jaleel’s product may be found at various wholesale and retail stores worldwide, such as Walmart and other international retailers. The agency has extra than 2,000 employees on five continents.

It’s unclear how many people have been stricken by the salaries cuts but stated because the crisis, new departments have been created to allow clients to get right of entry to merchandise from the protection of their homes.

SM Jaleel also cited fitness and well-being measures in any respect their centres had been assessed. With the inclusion of temperature testing, hand washing, distribution of masks and operating from home. The corporation stated it has additionally provided a unique travel allowance to frontline workers doing sales, deliveries and vending at some point of the pandemic.