Jason Cross, Gleaner Writer
Displayed employees of fast-food chain Mother’s say they are fearful they could be jobless for much longer if conditions do not improve.
Mother’s has announced the closure of its 18 restaurants islandwide for 30 days, starting today, leaving some 900 staff and 200 vendors out of work.
Some workers say very soon they will face the harsh reality of unpaid bills and they will not be able to carry out their role as breadwinners.
Yesterday, The Gleaner visited two locations of the fast-food chain in Cross Roads and downtown Kingston, where the number of workers was reportedly slashed recently, as the company grappled with the fallout from the coronavirus (COVID-19).
Some workers told The Gleaner that they became disgruntled with their work arrangements, as fewer employees were around to carry the workload.
“It affect we bad,” one cashier said.
“Some people get laid off already. Some of the staff living in Portmore, St Catherine couldn’t come work three weeks now. Now, the lockdown over there lift and dem can come back, but the stores are being closed. Everybody a find fault,” the cashier continued.
Another employee said that as a single mother of two children and elderly dependents, she doesn’t know how long her savings will last during her time at home.
“It is going to be drastic for me. I am worried! I don’t know how long it will last,” she said.
A worker at the Cross Roads outlet shared that staff went beyond the call of duty to keep the restaurant going.
Disappointment was expressed that the store is being closed.
“In January, we had more than 20 staff. On each shift, we had two cashiers, three serving, plus the persons in the kitchen. Now instead of around nine for each shift, we have six. The ones in the kitchen have a problem because they are running multiple stations, but only being paid for running one station, plus they are working two shifts. Instead, they tell the workers to take some days off the following week, but if you are working overtime, you should get paid for it,” the worker said.
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