Volunteers reveal they have not received wages since December

For the second time in less than six months volunteers from Government’s National Vaccination Programme are up in arms over unpaid salaries.

Some volunteers complained to Barbados TODAY that the last time they were paid was December, 2021.

Ironically, several of those volunteers did not have a Merry Christmas last year after outstanding monies owed to them from October and November were only paid after December 25.

One volunteer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said she had not been paid for the year.

“I’ve worked from January and there are also volunteers who worked from January and the last time we were paid was in December. I’ve worked January, February and March and there has been no sort of payment,” she complained.

“This is June, a whole six months later and we are still waiting to be paid. How do they expect us to be able to put food on our tables and support our families if we are going three, four, five and now six months without getting paid?”

The upset mother said with the increasingly high cost of living she was struggling to get by and send her children to school.

Another irate volunteer described the treatment being meted out to them as “bare foolishness”.

“How many people are there in Barbados who go six months without getting paid? Six months is a very long time and how we are being treated is real unfair. If certain people had to go six months without getting a salary they would walk off the job but we are still coming to work,” she lamented.

“The hurtful thing is that there hasn’t even been any communication from anyone to tell us when we are getting paid. Six months without getting a cent and no one had the decency to come and tell us that there would be a delay in payment and that we would get paid by such and such a time.”

Another worker admitted that she had not been able to go to work every day because she did not have enough money for bus fare or lunch.

The mother of one said this meant she would miss out on much needed funds.

“I would have liked to go to work because I really needed the money but I just could not afford it. Whatever little money I have left I have to keep it for my son and make sure he is good because he is a priority.

“I just want them to pay us because it is money that we worked for honestly and we shouldn’t have to beg anybody to pay us what is rightfully ours,” she cried.

When contacted, co-coordinator of the programme Major David Clarke who is currently out of the island told Barbados TODAY he was aware of the situation and efforts were being made to pay those volunteers.

“I have filled out all of the paperwork that I have and I am dealing with it with the accountant at the Ministry of Finance. That is all I can say at this point in time, but they’ve told me they should be paid soon,” Major Clarke said.
randybennett@barbadostoday.bb