Islander calls for redundancy and paternity rights
BBCA former Blue Islands' employee with a newborn baby has said he has been affected by the lack of redundancy and paternity protection in Guernsey.
Eti Albin was one of the 98 Blue Islands' employees made redundant in the Channel Islands following the airline's collapse after working for it for more than 11 years.
Airlines Loganair and Aurigny stepped in to cover the cancelled routes. Both said they intended to hire former Blue Islands' employees.
In Guernsey, employers are not required to pay out redundancy money, nor does the States provide insolvency benefits. The Employment Committee president said "we would like to look at this [statutory redundancy] seriously this term".
'I've been stung'
Mr Albin said he was concerned he was missing out on vital money: "We would have been paid up until the end of October and then we finished working on the 14 November - so that's two weeks we've done [unpaid] where we'll have to make a claim against the company.
"I've been stung by the lack of good parental leave... but its not just that, it's the whole suite of support that isn't available in Guernsey.
"In this instance, there is no support from the States, other than the normal unemployment or income support."
Tina Bury, President of the Employment and Social Security Committee, said there would be no new help rolled out for ex-Blue Islands' employees - aside from potential income support and unemployment benefits.
In Jersey, islanders can claim insolvency benefits up to £10,000 by filling out a government form.
Mr Albin said: "I'm really happy for my colleagues there that they get something, but gutted for the colleagues here."
Liquidators EY said employees who had been made redundant "may be eligible to make a claim for unpaid wages, accrued holiday pay, statutory redundancy and statutory notice pay from their local government", but added it varied "based on where each employee's employment is based".
'We're really behind'
Mr Albin said he wanted Guernsey's employment laws to change so they were in line with similar jurisdictions.
Bury said the government did not have the ability "under law to roll out something specific for one specific company".
She said: "That would be quite unfair to those that have experienced similar things.
"Unfortunately, we don't have statutory redundancy on the books in Guernsey... we would like to look at this seriously this term."
In Guernsey, a mother has the right to 12 weeks' basic maternity leave but there is no statutory obligation on employers to provide paid maternity leave.
Partners claiming maternity support leave have a statutory entitlement to two weeks' unpaid parental leave - which has been criticised in the past.
Mr Albin said Guernsey's government needed to do something "relatively soon".
He said: "We're trying to be a forward-thinking jurisdiction, but we don't really have all the help that everywhere else gets."
Bury said it was something her team were looking into and that it was "aware that we are really behind".
She said: "We're behind in terms of the length of time that we offer, we're behind in the progressiveness, of sharing leave between the two parents.
"This has really wide social ramifications as well, with the burden of care often falling on the mother."
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