A group of former CBC workers is willing to wait no longer than a week for official word on outstanding pension payments, which they claim, are being unlawfully withheld from them.
Spokesperson for the aggrieved group, Peter Thorne had initially given a September 30 deadline for the outstanding monies to be paid, while at a demonstration in Queen’s Park. On Tuesday, he however revealed the group was willing to give officials another five working days to have their matters addressed.
Efforts to reach Minister of Information, Broadcasting and Public Affairs Senator Lucille Moe for comment were unsuccessful, but Thorne said the workers’ decision was based on good information from the ministry.
“September 30th has passed, but she [Senator Moe] has been candid and forthright and the only person really to keep the communication channels open in terms of this matter with CBC and the FSC. We expect the way to be made clear for ICBL to pay the workers their funds,” he said.
“By the 9th of October, all things being equal, she said she would communicate a resolution on the matter to us and we expect no delay after that,” Thorne said.
The saga involves over two dozen employees, some with over 40 years’ experience at the country’s lone free-to-air TV station who are seeking to recover thousands of dollars in gratuity payments through the station’s pension programme, which is disbursed by the Insurance Corporation Barbados Limited (ICBL).
They claim CBC’s refusal to grant them their money runs contrary to the Occupational Pension Benefits Act (OPBA) 2003 Cap 350B, which mandates that at age 55, workers could claim their pension once they have worked for three years or one thousand hours at the company in question.
According to Thorne, neither the ICBL nor the Financial Services Commission (FSC) has ever refuted the workers’ claims. Nevertheless, the money still had not been paid.
“The law is succinctly clear and the CBC has never publicly disputed one iota of the law,” stressed Peter Thorne on Tuesday.
“We understand that the FSC last wrote them on the September 12th affirming the workers’ rights and asked them to resolve the matter in accordance with the Laws of Barbados, because we have a right at the age of 55 and we are prepared to give the Minister until the 9th, because she has worked diligently and she has been forthright and candid on the matter.”
