U.S. Capital Energy fires employees

Down south, the Sarstoon Temash Institute for Indigenous Management today confirmed that twenty three employees from the village of Conejo have been fired from US Capital Energy. While the company did not have a license to explore in the Conejo area, it had began seismic testing and according to a SATIIM release, U.S Capital Energy has openly accepted that they illegally cut seismic line number eight through Conejo’s territory for oil exploration.  SATIIM further claims that the workers were sacked because exploration halted when US Capital Energy did not get the go-ahead to place explosives on the line. To add salt to the wounds, there are only thirty-six men in the village, which means that sixty-three percent of the work force is now unemployed.  News Five spoke to Greg Ch’oc of SATIIM via phone.

Andrea Polanco

“When were they fired?”

Via Phone: Greg Ch’oc, Executive Director, SATIIM

Greg Ch’oc

“It occurred on Thursday. They were sent home on Thursday, as a matter of fact, they were going to work on Thursday and mid-point going to their area of work, they were called back and the conversation was based on the discussion by the Chairman of the Village. He was told by the representatives of US Capital Energy that they’ve been trying to get them to have a meeting and because they haven’t had the meeting, that he will put the burden of the loss of job by his community on his shoulder; and that he should convene the meeting when he think it’s appropriate and until they convene that meeting and get an appropriate response from Conejo. Conejo people will not have any employment with US Capital.”

Andrea Polanco

“In the interim, these twenty-three workers remain without jobs and what would you like to see be done about this situation?”

Via Phone: Greg Ch’oc

“Well, obviously I would like for the workers to return to work, however, US Capital have accepted responsibility for the trail, about three miles of trail that was cut inside Conejo’s territory. I think US Capital wants to expedite and to ignore the wrongs they have committed and so I am calling on Government to look into the matter because I think U.S Capitals has violated the terms of their permit in this case and Government has the obligation to ensure that they do not do so.”

SATIIM says that the firings amount to a collective punishment for the village.