More Seychelles people are being urged to join the tuna canning factory's workforce so as to help meet the cannery's production targets. The country’s only tuna cannery is named Indian Ocean Tuna and is owned by the Seychelles government and leased and operated by Heinz Europe.
General manager David Bentley made the appeal for a larger Seychelles-workforce during an official visit by the new Employment and Social Affairs minister Vincent Meriton to the Indian Ocean Tuna (IOT) factory on Friday February 13th.
According to Mr. Bentley, the factory, which was designed to produce 350 tons of canned tuna per day, is currently producing 360 tons, but is to be pushed to turn out 420 tons in the coming months.
Mr. Bentley explained that the increase in production is intended to meet the rise in consumption of tuna in IOT's main European markets over their summer months. Currently employing some 1,400 local members of staff out of a total workforce of some 2,400, Mr. Bentley said IOT has vacancies for more local employees. “There are opportunities for people who would like to come here for a three-month contract, but overall our aim is to have maximum permanent local employment in our workforce,†he said.
In response Minister Meriton said that his ministry would continue to work alongside IOT to ensure that it increases the number of Seychelles workers operating in the factory and to help meet the production targets the factory has set for the coming months. “We will work to strengthen the relationship with IOT, not only for the good of the cannery, but also for the workers employed here,†said the minister.
The starting salary, with time keeping bonus, for a local IOT employee is R2,210 (USD 430), plus any shift or overtime accrued.
In addition the factory provides an annual increment and an additional day's holiday for every two years worked.
During last week's visit Minister Meriton also unveiled the plaque the factory was awarded as the top prizewinner in the 2003 workplace health and safety competition. Noting that the unveiling was symbolic, Minister Meriton said it showed that more workplaces were taking health and safety as a very important aspect of production. He called it an example that other companies should emulate.
Minister Meriton and his entourage on a guided tour of the tuna canning factory
