LETTER: Help! General Post Office taking advantage of me

11
General Post Office

DEAR EDITOR:

I have been an employee at the General Post Office for over four years through the Job Program at the Labour Department.

I signed a contract which stated for six months. After the six months I realised am still a trainee 1,2,3,4 years still getting underpaid  through the Labour Department.

Every time I ask about when am I getting on staff it always be a long story (after budget speech, Government  don’t have any money etc) but am seeing people start working for the Government without going through Labour Department, (bear in mind my contract stated six months). Now it’s been over four years and I am still a trainee.

I need help from the public to know what I can do or who I can go and talk to. People don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for the little work but it’s like they are taking advantage of the situation.

The little blessing (money) am getting from Labour is thankful but I think I deserve more cause my contract ended after the six months. And as a trainee they have me working on the road delivering mails by myself without a partner and they well know it’s wrong. I need help and answers. I’m supposed to be on staff long time.  It’s not fair.

Name Withheld

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11 COMMENTS

  1. That is called taking you for granted. That happened because you were sent by someone to that place. If you applied on your own,that contract would have been extended or voided after 6 months. By the way,after the first 6 months,they should have let you know. If you would become a permanent employee or not. They should not have you in limbo after 4 years on the job. Do they give you a job performance review twice yearly?

    • They take Antigua and Barbuda people for granted, my brother. This may be the worst ran operation in Antigua Government. The post master needs to be replaces with that trainee and just maybe the mail from overseas will be delivered in days instead of “still waiting for months now”. You can’t build an economic powerhouse without a mail system that’s connected to the world.

  2. There are two ways this issue can be addressed:

    1. Have a conversation with the Postmaster General and bring your situation to his attention.

    If that fails:

    2. Since you are a trainee on the job programme under the management of the Ministry of Labour, lodge a complaint with the head of the job programme and give them some time to sort out the situation. If it is not sorted in a few weeks, seek an audience with the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Labour.

  3. Here’s some good advice for you (for what it’s worth).

    Back in the day, I was underpaid, overworked and overlooked for years by senior management. If the post office will still not upgrade your position and pay after 4 years – DO NOT LEAVE!!!

    instead, take on as much of the corporate knowledge (as well as any internal training) that you can from your place of work. Locate the company handbook, and then pick the brains of a wise elderly colleague to find the ‘good, the bad ugly’ regarding working procedures and practices.

    Once you are satisfied that you can stand on your own two feet armed with this newfound corporate knowledge – THEN LEAVE!!!

    I did this, and have never looked back. I now employ others … GOOD LUCK FOR THE FUTURE 👍

    • … Always try to think that in life in general, that your glass is half full🥃, instead of half empty 🥃. STAY POSITIVE …

    • Good advice. Invest in yourself, not your position. Take small courses where you can. Might take a while but they will add up. Hope it all works out for you in the end. Don’t get discouraged

  4. I know someone who sent a registered return receipt letter overseas and the last thing they were told, the letter was picked up from their location and after that it get lost.

    From since then, they stop using Antigua post office. Up to now they don’t even get their money back. They paid for a service provided by the Post Office and they didn’t get the service they paid for.

    • The same thing happened to my friend who lives in the U.S.
      She never got her package even though she paid for express shipping.

      • Dem people got no shame and no pride. Nasty wutless scamps that work in there. I tell all my tourist friends not to use Antigua Post Office. Plenty gifts that never made it to people here, they ended up in the hands of the workers at the Post Office.

        • It is a wonder the post office is still operating. People send registered mail to Antigua and they are never delivered and when the foreign post office make enquires they receive no reply. People send money orders and they are stolen and cashed at the post office. Who bothers to use this postal service when so much thievingness going on.
          All kinds of scampish behaviour and thieving that you heard about in other Caribbean countries have now arrived in Antigua.

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