Association urges resolution in Advocate pay delay

The Barbados Association of Journalists and Media Workers (BARJAM) wants the parties involved in the Barbados Advocate legal wrangling to work toward a speedy resolution so that affected staff can be paid.

The association has empathized with staff of the country’s oldest newspaper who have not been paid for two months because of a legal matter.

BARJAM’s President Keith Goddard in a statement issued today said the association has taken note that the ongoing legal battle among the leadership of the Barbados Advocate. Of even greater concern, he said, is the very severe consequence the prolonged matter is now having on the editorial employees who have continued to perform their duties on a daily basis without much murmur or complaint until now.

Last week, through a press release, staff cried out over the missed pay dates after the assets of the newspaper’s late owner and chairman Sir Anthony Bryan were frozen by the law court. He died in June 2020.

The company has been unable to meet its monthly obligations, including paying its staff for August and September, after Sir Anthony’s son, Allan Richard Bryan, brought Court Order CV 450, against one of the directors of the Board Gail Sherry-Anne Padmore, resulting in the account being frozen.

In the release, the staff said that the situation has resulted in some of them experiencing financial difficulties and called for the company’s account to be unfrozen to allow them to be paid their salaries.

Meanwhile, in the short statement, Goddard indicated that while it is not the BARJAM’s intention to place itself in the middle of the matter which is before the law courts, the association is requesting a speedy resolution to the issue to allow those members of the Advocate staff who are being affected through no fault of their own, to meet their obligations.

Goddard’s statement read in part: “It will also allow the Barbados Advocate which has been operating for more than 100 years to return to full operation and continue to serve the Barbadian public as one of the beacons of the local media.” (AH)