Bill to appoint civil servants ready for Parliament

Legislation to allow for civil servants in acting positions to be appointed by next month will go before Parliament on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Mia Mottley, during her speech at Sunday’s meeting of the St George North constituency branch of the ruling Barbados Labour Party (BLP), also said debate on the bill will begin the following week.

Her disclosure came days after Governor General Dame Sandra Mason announced the planned appointments in her Throne Speech last Tuesday.

Mottley acknowledged that it was not possible for all temporary positions to be made permanent, but said the Government was making a special attempt to appoint most of those workers who have been in acting positions for more than three years.

“Unless you have a case in the criminal court; unless you have a disciplinary matter before the Services Commission; unless you have a process that was started with you going to the Medical Board because you are no longer able to carry out your job, so you have not been to work for months and therefore looking to see if you can be medically boarded; unless you have negative reference in your personnel file . . . then you will be entitled to be appointed to the public service of Barbados come the 1st of October, 2020,” she said.

Meantime, Mottley used her speech to respond to criticism, from the Opposition, of the recently announced Barbados Employment and Sustainable Transformation (BEST) programme which seeks to re-employ 75 per cent of the thousands of Barbadians in the hospitality and tourism sector who are on the breadline because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The initiative would see workers earning around 80 per cent of their usual salaries by performing tasks set out by the Government.

The Prime Minister insisted that this is the time for Barbadians to band together.

“We have a duty to do things that will lead to people being able to work and to have money in their pockets to be able to buy food, to be able to pay water and light, to be able to support their families. Don’t get tie up, this is not a time for sprinting, this is not a time for fancy movements, this is a time to keep your head above the water,” Mottley said.

“This country will get through COVID. COVID will not hold us back if we move together [and] if we work together.” (SB)