OVER 100 EMPLOYEES are to be laid off by Desnoes and Geddes (D&G) in December, as it completes the shedding of its Pepsi subsidiary.

The redundancies were indicated at the announcement of the sale in October, but UCASE (Union of Clerical, Administrative and Supervisor Employees), an affiliate of the National Workers Union, representing some of the workers, has complained that it will be "painful" to make the workers redundant in the middle of the Yuletide season.

"We are concerned that this is being carried out in the Yuletide season and this must be painful to the employees and their families," said UCASE's president, Mr. Vincent Morrison, in a letter to the company's vice-president for personnel and industrial relations, Mr. Peter Hall.

D&G's corporate affairs spokesman, Mr. Tony Rae, said yesterday that the company had not yet received a copy of Mr. Morrison's letter. But, he pointed out that D&G's president, John Irving, had revealed at the announcement of the sale of its soft drink business to Pepsi, that some 93 workers would be affected by the sale and that most of them would be re-employed by Pepsi.

"Nobody will be sent off without their proper compensation, which has always been a tradition of D&G," Mr. Rae said. He pointed out that the company has been meeting with union delegates to discuss the development.

Reports to The Gleaner are that workers not directly linked to affected area will also be laid off.

The change in ownership is to become effective on December 1 and D&G is expected to carry out the redundancies starting December sixth.

In his letter to the company, Mr. Morrison said that the redundancies would affect 50 of its members and it was concerned:

"We are therefore requesting that the terminations be postponed into the New Year and that a meeting be arranged so that we can discuss the matter fully," Mr. Morrison wrote the company.