SENATOR Alan Breckon has called for the States to pay former Woolworths staff almost £290,000 in compensation – more than double the figure already requested.
Earlier this month Deputy Geoff Southern lodged a proposition asking the Treasury and Resources department to pay the workers the £139,500 that they would have been entitled to if they had worked for a UK Woolworths.
But yesterday Senator Breckon lodged an amendment calling for the figure to be increased to £289,500 to cover payments owed to the workers because they did not receive the statutory notice period. Under Jersey law, workers are entitled to a minimum 16 weeks’ notice or payment in lieu.
The proposition also requests Social Security Minister Ian Gorst ask the Jersey Advisory and Conciliation Service to verify the appropriateness of any notice payments and compare the terms and conditions to those in the UK. More than 80 staff at the King Street store were made redundant when the former high-street giant went into administration in November.
