Former Harrison’s Cave workers call on company to deliver outstanding pensions

Nearly one-and-a-half years after Caves of Barbados Limited (CBL) terminated its approximate 60 workers and was placed under new management, some employees are still waiting to receive their pensions.

One of those workers, said to be numbering about 10, who had applied for pension, is expressing frustration at being “turned around in circles” when seeking answers regarding the delay in the payment of his entitlement.

“This is two years now that this has been going on and up to now it has not been solved. There are people who had sent in documentation for retirement and up to now they have not got a cent. Every time you call the company they saying ‘oh yeh, we working on it. We don’t know when it’s going to finish.’ Then when you call the unions, especially the Barbados Worker’s Union (BWU) they always say they are going to get back to you and they never call you back.

This is the point of frustration now,” the former employee who did not want to be identified, told Barbados TODAY. None of the union leaders was available for comment.

“If we were still employed with the National Conservation Commission (NCC), we would have gotten our money probably six months after retirement. But with this whole lot of confusion, nothing seems to be happening. Every point you check, nobody seems to know what is happpening and nobody seems to have an answer. All you are hearing is ‘they are working on it, they are working on,’” the ex-Caves of Barbados staff member complained.

However, Member of Parliament and chairman of the company Ralph Thorne Q.C. on Tuesday gave the assurance that “The matter is nearer to its end than its beginning, and very close to completion.”

He said this issue has occupied the attention of some private and public agencies.

“Only last week I held discussions with one of those agencies towards a smooth resolution. There are ongoing administrative and legal issues to be resolved before this matter reaches its happy conclusion,” he told Barbados TODAY.

The CBL chair said when the workers were with the company, he always urged them to “cling fast” to their unions and had always assured them of frank, open and transparent communication through their labour representatives.

Thorne said this approach has not changed.

But the former worker is suggesting that the government only did its part by awarding a 25-year management contract since December 2020 to Chukka Caribbean Adventures, Jamaica’s largest nature adventure tour operator, , but failed to equally address the employees’ pensions and gratuities concerns.

“They just left it hanging and the people just monkeying about with it and taking their own leisurely time with it. That is where we are at right now,” he declared.

In June last year, government announced that the workers, who were officially made redundant on October 31, 2020, had been paid nearly $2.5 million in severance.

Minister of Energy and Business Development Kerrie Symmonds had announced in the House of Assembly that the severance bill was $2 411 409, part of an overall payment of $3 444 628 which included vacation pay.

The lease that was given to Chukka to manage the Harrison’s Cave tourist attraction in St Thomas, became effective December 31, 2020. emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb