NAB workers get late pay

Workers at the National Assistance Board (NAB) on Monday received the second half of their April pay after raising concerns about late payment before starting work.

And there is a fresh commitment from management to ensure the workers receive their bi-monthly salaries on time, National Union of Public Workers officials have revealed.

At the start of the work day, workers ventured to the NAB’s headquarters at Country Road, St Michael for answers, after their expected salary lodgment scheduled for April 30 was still not on their accounts.

One irate worker told reporters: “The workers that use the bank got their money only because some of them went and quarrel and complain. But now the bank has to take that money and send it over to the credit union to be processed so we can get paid. It’s the third of May and we were supposed to be paid on the 30th and the money is still not on.

“As you would know workers all over the world live paycheque to paycheque, why would we be any different when we are not making loads of money.

“We have workers that are single mothers, that have rent to pay, bills to pay, children gone back out to school from today, it is unfair that we always have to be struggling and wondering if we are going to get our pay.”

NUPW Industrial Relations Officer Christian Rock and acting Deputy General Secretary Richard Green were on-site to address the worker’s grievances.

Rock told reporters management had agreed to meet with the union even as he insisted the workers were not engaging in any form of industrial action.

Rock said: “What you see here this morning is not a formal protest. The workers did report this morning and they called in, as usual. The problem is that they are still awaiting their funds to be deposited at the credit union, some at the bank indicated that they got theirs. So right now, we are just waiting to meet with management to find out what is the way forward in terms of the salaries.

Just over a half-hour later, the NUPW officials emerged from the talks satisfied that the workers’ concerns had been addressed and with assurances of further talks on other issues.

Green revealed: “They have gone back to work. The NUPW has met with the management of the National Assistance Board. We were able to receive a number of commitments from them about how they would operate in the future to make sure that a repeat of this situation does not happen again.

“We are happy for that and we are going to follow up on a number of other outstanding issues that we had, but obviously this meeting was to deal with the immediate concerns. The staff is comfortable with the commitment made by the National Assistance Board.”

Rock added that the talks were cordial and fruitful. He told Barbados TODAY the two sides are set to meet this Friday or by next week to discuss concerns related to Personal Protection Equipment.

He also revealed the workers are scheduled to meet with NUPW representatives on Monday night. (SD)