NUPW steps in, Child Care Board workers lose jobs

Trouble could be brewing at the Government-run Child Care Board (CCB).

Acting general secretary at the National Union of Public Workers’ (NUPW) Delcia Burke, has reported that temporary workers at the statutory board have been dismissed, with today being the last day on the job for some.

She told Barbados TODAY word reaching the union was that a cook who had worked there for nine years was among those sent home.

Burke said what was especially worrisome was the fact that workers had allegedly been told that other people were being hired to replace them.

She said just a few months ago Prime Minister Mia Mottley had promised Government workers would not be sent home in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“In the aftermath of COVID and during COVID the Prime Minister had expressed the wish not to have any public servants laid off because a lot of persons in the private sector would have gone home.

“The CCB is a statutory board, so it is not public service per say but it is a Government department. It is my understanding that we have not had complaints from any of our members, but other persons have told us that they have been laid off. They were called and told that today [Friday] is their last day and some of them have been told that they are going to be replaced by new persons,” Burke said.

“So I’m saying it doesn’t have anything to do with COVID, it doesn’t have anything to do with money. It is just that people are taking advantage of the fact that persons are temporary and some of them might have been substitutes and they are laying them off to bring on new persons.”

Burke said she was informed that the CCB had conducted interviews to fill the now vacant posts.

She said while no member of the NUPW had been terminated, repeated efforts had been made to speak with management of the CCB, albeit futile.

“I have made attempts to talk to the management of the CCB and I have not been successful. I have spoken to some of our temporary members who have not been affected so far,” Burke said.

She said Government’s recent move to appoint temporary workers in the public service would not pertain to the CCB since it was a statutory board.

Despite that, she said the union would be keeping a close eye on developments at the CCB.

“At a time when the Prime Minister is trying to make as many people as secure as ever by securing them in their posts, that a statutory board, which is a Government operation, would be laying off persons,” she contended.

Efforts to reach CCB chairman Catherine Jordan for comment proved unsuccessful.
randybennett@barbadostoday.bb