‘No ultimatum’ in BGIS-Public Affairs merger issue

The island’s largest public sector trade union has backed off from giving the Ministry of the Public Service an ultimatum to respond to grievances by employees over the planned merger of the Barbados Government Information Service (BGIS) with the Public Affairs Department.

Deputy General Secretary of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) Wayne Walrond said on Thursday that the union has dispatched an “urgent” letter to that ministry and expects it would respond in a reasonable time to a request for talks on the merger that it fears would result in the supersession of the existing BGIS staff.

“We have not given them an ultimatum, but I am looking within a reasonable time that we get that dialogue going,” he stressed.

Some of the upset information officers who reported sick on Wednesday remained at home again Thursday as the union made clear it would be monitoring the ministry to ensure it doesn’t drag its feet in replying to the request for an urgent meeting to get to the bottom of the proposed merger.

“It is my understanding that some workers reported today as still not feeling well,” Walrond told Barbados TODAY.

“The NUPW has sent off an urgent letter to the Ministry of the Public Service seeking dialogue to seek clarity on the proposed merger that was touted and to have accurate information on the status of it. The workers would have had concerns with some of their portfolio being taken over by Public Affairs over a period of time, and they would have concerns that promotional positions on offer in that department could create inequity, particularly where those positions should have been considered for the long-serving GIS officers.”

Concerned that it appeared there would be “consequential supersession if certain appointments are made at Public Affairs”, the union official added: “We have sought to have an urgent meeting to bring clarity on this state of affairs and that we deal with not only pay but with terms and conditions of service.”

Walrond said the union wants to ensure that there are adequate consultations and negotiations in dealing with the issues so nobody would be disadvantaged.

Since the early days of the former West Indies Federation with a single officer in 1958, the BGIS has served as the government’s public relations and information arm. The Public Affairs Department, created by the Mia Mottley administration, is described on its social media outlets as being “committed to disseminating timely, credible information on Barbados’ public service”.

The impending merger is slated for April 1, the start of the government’s new financial year. (EJ)