In June this year, Mountain Hazelnuts, a foreign direct investment company, sent home more than 300 employees on unpaid leave for three months. Counting each day and night, the employees waited for the three-month period to end. And when it did, a relieve order shocked many. From a total of 325 employees, the company is retaining about 249 whose positions are critically important for harvest and orchard conversion this year.
Thirty-two-year-old Thinley Lhendup from Saling Gewog in Mongar, former plant care in the company is among the 76 employees relieved on Wednesday. Father of two, and the only bread earner in the family, the relieve order tore him apart.
“When they initially sent us on unpaid leave, they told us that the company will call us back. But now that they are asking us to leave, it is unbelievable. We have children to feed,” he said.
After a decade-long service to the company, he is now forced to work at a construction site in Gyalpoizhing. And he is not alone. With him, 15 others have accepted the company’s decision and decided to move on.
And many others are also giving a thought to return home and work on farms.
The company also extended the unpaid leave for 25 other employees. The extension will drag on until the company secures enough funding to operate. This means they are also at the edge of losing their job anytime.
The management of the Mountain Hazelnuts decided to lay off the employees due to its refined operation strategy, to cut down costs, and secure enough funds to run the company. Due to the pandemic and the nationwide lockdown last year, the company could not collect fruits. Further, the company’s export was also affected, leading to a huge loss.
According to the company’s Chief Executive Officer, Sean Watson (PhD), most of the retrenchments are those who work in nurseries.
He said the company is starting to downsize its nurseries and operations and that they will no longer bring in tissue culture imports.
“In the fields, we will give ownerships and incentives to more growers so that we can reduce field staff slightly,” he said.
As for the laid-off staff, the company is doing everything it could to provide them with a smooth transition to other employment opportunities.
As per the company’s Director, Tshering Dorji (PhD), to smoothen the transition of those who are being retrenched, the company is supporting them to connect with the Build Bhutan Project and other organizations.
“The company also provides confidential counselling service to assisting with reference and CVs, and ensuring the timely exit procedures,” he said.
As per the company’s service rule, the laid-off staff will be entitled to all the benefits, including one month’s basic pay in lieu of the one-month notice period at the time of retrenchment. However, the director, said due to limited funds, the company might take some time for them to deliver the benefits.
“But we are very committed and will pay as soon as we have secured the full funding.”
Meanwhile, the company has reinstated all others, who were sent on unpaid leave in June.
Mountain Hazelnuts was established in the country in 2009. Today it has set up orchards in the 18 districts.
Sonam Tshering, Monggar
Edited by Chayku
