PHILIPSBURG--The Coliseum Casino workers who lost their jobs on November 3, after the passing of the owner of the employment agency under which they were employed, are taking the casino to court to be recognised as permanent workers.

 

Most of the workers had been working at Coliseum in excess of 20 years. Coliseum Casino wants the workers to reapply for their positions after three months.

 

One of the terminated workers told The Daily Herald on Thursday that the service of an attorney had been secured and the matter will be taken to court. The workers received their last payment mid-November and were expecting to receive some compensation at the end of November, but have not as yet.

 

Vegas Amusement NV (doing business as Coliseum Casino) Managing Director Hakan Unal had not given a reason why the company wants the workers to wait three months before they can reapply for the positions in which they had been functioning, most of them for more than 20 years.

 

The workers believe it is a move to keep them from becoming permanent.

Unal had said in an earlier press statement that the workers were not employed by Coliseum Casino, but by the employment agency Olrenho NV. He said Coliseum Casino had an agreement with Olrenho to provide employees to work at the casino, for which Coliseum Casino paid Olrenho on a bi-weekly basis. He said when the managing director of Olrenho NV passed away, Coliseum Casino had no other choice, but to terminate the contract with Olrenho NV with a two-month notice period.

 

Another option given to the workers was that they could join another employment agency and Coliseum Casino would consider entering into a contract with that employment agency.

 

The Daily Herald