30 Workers’ Laid Off as Bras d’Eau Park Contracts Terminated

Dozens of workers at Bras d’Eau National Park are facing uncertainty after their contracts were terminated, allegedly without explanation or recent pay. The termination letter, dated August 3rd, informed the approximately thirty employees, who were working on the Ridge to Reef (R2R) project, that their employment would end on September 1st. This comes after their initial contracts expired on June 19th and were followed by a one-month extension.

Workers Allege Unpaid Wages and Lack of Communication

The affected workers claim they haven’t received a salary for several weeks, with pay slips usually made available on the MauCloud platform.

“We were simply told to stop coming to work from September 1st, without any further explanation,” one employee stated.

A source within the Ministry of Agro-Industry confirmed that the delayed salaries would be settled, assuring that “the salaries due will be paid by today, August 27th, at the latest.”

Contracts Linked to EU-funded Project

Kevin Ruhomaun, Director of the National Parks and Conservation Service (NPCS), explained that the contract terminations were a direct result of the R2R project’s conclusion.

The project, launched in 2021 by the NPCS with funding from the European Union (EU) and the Mauritian government, was set to restore ecosystems until 2026. However, according to Ruhomaun, the EU’s funding for the project has now ended.

The affected employees were hired specifically for the R2R initiative and were aware that their contracts were tied to the project.

The terminations apply to all groups of workers involved in the project across the island’s parks, including those in Pétrin and Rivière-Noire.

The project’s goals included planting endemic species, removing invasive ones, and restoring forests and mangroves.

Source: l’Express