By next week workers at the Transport Board are expected to learn just how much more they would be impacted by Government layoffs, as the state-owned entity has signalled readiness to commence a second round of cuts under the IMF-approved Barbados Economic Recovery Transformation (BERT) programme.
While not willing to divulge the numbers earmarked for the breadline, chairman of the Transport Board, Gregory Nicholls told Barbados TODAY that discussions with the workers’ bargaining agent, the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) are set to commence within the next seven days.
“I can’t divulge numbers because I have not entered formally into discussions with the unions and for me to do otherwise would be tantamount to going into those discussions having stated what the outcome is going to be. We will begin those discussions within the course of the next seven days after which workers would have a clearer picture of what is to take place,” Nicholls told Barbados TODAY on the sidelines of a conference for prospective bidders to provide 40 electric buses, and held at the Courtyard Marriott this morning.
Last November the state-run Transport Board retrenched 50 of its 600-strong workforce. First to go were those who received permanent appointments just weeks before the May 24 General Election. However, the Transport Board chairman told Barbados TODAY that this time around many of the workers would be re-employed in the public transport sector within another format.
“We have just completed our master plan and submitted it to our parent ministry and yes there will be further cuts at the Transport Board. What I can say though is that the difference with this phase of retrenchment under the BERT programme is that a number of the employees would be rehired under the Transport Board but not directly with the board. So one of the fundamental planks under the phase of this programme is that there are services that can be provided to the Transport Board that don’t have to be provided by an employee, that still significantly reduces the payroll cost and expenditure of the organization,” he explained.
Nicholls gave an update on the number of employees who have indicated an interest in receiving voluntary separation packages. He noted that his organization was still working out the logistics as well as the funding sources for these persons.
“There are still simply too many variables for me to give a time frame for those persons right now. It will be impossible to say anything definitive because we still have to source the funding from central Government in order to make our commitments of severance payments for those workers who might want to go voluntarily,” Nicholls revealed.
Despite earlier reservations by their union, 50 Transport Board workers, mainly bus drivers, opted for voluntary separation last month. An official told Barbados TODAY at the time that drivers represent the bulk of workers wanting to go home due to the stressful nature of the job but it was feared the number might overwhelm the Transport Board.
The government that cares. I hope the people get their money, after all you promise no person will go home empty handed, plus you now got 13.5 million from the sale of government land.
Seriously now. Them already struggling.
Y not remove some of the senators and reduce the ministers pay.
Y is it the poor man gotta be affected all the time.
Agree with ya Bajans getting a 6 fa a 9.
The Transport Board was and is loaded with BLP supporters. It became that way from way back during Owen Arthur’s time, when Anthony Wood was Transport Minister. Now the same ones that gave the DLP a hard time while it held office, will now be sacked by the same party that they voted overwhelming for in last May 24th general elections. Meanwhile, the 26 fat cat MPs enjoying their huge salaries.
They don’t have a clue what they’re doing. The only smart person in the room is GOD. Father god help guide them in your name.
There are few buses operable buses and bus fare revenue is making only a small contribution to the costs of running the operations. The Transport Board was left insolvent and bankrupt by the last administration. So it is now time for the Board to explain in plain English what is the plan for public transport for the next 3 years. Are we going to see a further reduction in bus numbers as buses are taken off the road due to ever increasing repair costs and then not replaced as there is no money for new buses? Are PSVs to be given an expanded role? Is full privatisation on the cards?…Time to explain your strategy folks!
I know for a fact that the engineers worked many months without pay, so isn’t it galling to be now rubbing salt in their wounds by talking about lay offs.
What a sad state of affairs this country has come too.Well folks all who feeling the pinch of the shoe start blaming who got us here,let me see.Chris Sinckler and that imbecile for a prime minister Fraundel Stuart,they sent home 5,000 and there was no IMF involved,it is hard but what has to be done has to be done.I am sorry for all those who are on the breadline but you gotta point the finger at the real culprits.
Just putting more POWER in the Mini bus / ZR hands .
In my opinion laying off the small man can’t help with this economy,start sending home the top ass men that working for 8,000.00 and up.Miss Mottley I know you trying but don’t leave out the one’s that working for the big bucks and ain’t doing one dam thing for the money.Stop laying off the poor people who in desperate need of a job.
Deborah King
So true.
However the Barbados Labour Party has never been about the small man.
Does Deborah King have all her marbles?
Talk wuh wunnuh like. De man in the picture with Gregory is a former chairman under DLP.. see the political class don’t forget each other. They take care of each other. Send home the workers!!
Jade there are some people and somethings that will survive political parties. We have several persons who were on the DLP side who one way or another are benefiting under the BLP. It has to do with relationship going back from school and other relationships….and money plays a significant part.
Lots of lazy entitled people at that Transport Board from top to bottom.
For years that entity was poorly run. people drawing a salary by fraud.
Time to start afresh with a lean mean well oiled machine.
Some things are too obvious to leave alone. Privatisation should be the way forward for this entity.
It stands to reason. A few buses in operation only need a few people to manage and operate them. Imagine that there are more ZR vans servicing the Silver Sands route,than the Transport Board have omnibuses to service the whole of the island.
I think we all have to be realist here. A fleet of 69 buses can not produce the same cash flow as a fleet of 200. If we look at just that basic number and focus on it for a minute here are some realities. With a fleet down 70percent on its heyday has our staff count fallen yet by 70 percent of its original payroll cost? Has the overall operating cost of the board dropped by 70 percent to take into account it’s current revenue base? How much is the government willing to subsidise the board by and what is the revenue shortfall after this subsidy and the current revenue based on the 69 buses are all taken in account? These are the facts I want to hear so let’s stop tap dancing around the issues and share these hard numbers with us the public and by extension shareholders in this entity.
And by the same token the number of non- executive Directors should be reduced. With the running stock severely depleted , Mrs Rock, Mr Coward or Capt Hill would have had no trouble managing these hand full of buses single handedly.