‘Government abusing workers’ rights’

Government is being called upon to rectify a situation which for some time has denied dozens of employees at the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc. (BTMI) many of the employment rights afforded their colleagues at the Barbados Tourism Product Authority (BTPA).

Veteran trade unionist Senator Caswell Franklyn while addressing debate on the Barbados Tourism Product Authority (BTPA) Amendment Bill, contended Government’s decision to merge the BTMI and the BTPA failed to address certain regulatory issues resulting in employees at the latter being denied benefits like gratuity and pension, contrary to the Employment Rights Act and the Statutory Pension Boards Act.

“In the rush to do whatever they did and transform these two organisations, Government messed them [workers] up. The persons who were working under the Barbados Tourism Product Authority continued with the benefits that came with the tourism authority. They were given pensions, gratuities and all of the other benefits given to public servants,” explained.

On the other hand, he said the BTMI was being treated like “a poor cousin” and its workers made to suffer as a result.

“They are breaking the law and they are continuing to break the law and treating these workers as if they don’t matter. I have a great issue with Government agencies, statutory boards and Government companies ignoring people’s rights,” he said.     

In addition, he said a situation existed at the Government-run organisation in which managers had been employed by their “friends” and given salaries inordinate with colleagues in similar positions.

“So you brought in a friend and gave them a big pick not to get a lot of work, but to get a lot of money and that is causing some disaffection among the staff. We have managers working at the same level, but one is getting $2,000 more than the other one as we speak,” he contended.

“You came into Government, you found problems and they have to fix it. Right now they are talking about doing a pension plan under the Statutory Pension Boards Act [for BTMI workers] but you took them from under that act and they could have continued being pensionable… but right now they don’t have a pension plan. “

In addition, he argued in some cases, contrary to the Employment Rights Act, many BTMI workers have not even been given their statement of employment particulars.

Franklyn contended that disregard for the rights of Government workers was not exclusive to the BTMI, but to illegal regulations on Parliament staff as an example. He said refusal to allow them to take vacation unless Parliament was in recess was denying many their rights under section 4 (4) of the Holidays With Pay Act.

“If you want to do this right, you have to provide the adequate staff so that when people want their time off to go to New York, Miami or even St. Lucia, they must be able to take their holiday. There are people with certain rights that you have to look out for. They are employees of Parliament, they are not your slaves and they must be treated like any other employee.

“I am showing you that Government’s bad behaviour to its staff is widespread and notorious, not just down there at the Tourism Product Authority. Government has a lot of things to fix,” he said.