The rising cost of fuel in Barbados has prompted the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) to call for a hike in allowances for public servants.
Noting that allowances have not moved in over a decade, the union’s general secretary Richard Green and president Kimberly Agard argued that with gas prices here being among the highest in the world, it was necessary for travel benefits to be adjusted upwards.
Their call came on the heels of another price hike that took effect on Sunday which saw the cost of gasoline rising to $4.83 per litre, an increase of 11 cents, and diesel increasing to $4.28 per litre, an increase of 20 cents.
“Because of the significant rise in the cost of petroleum, the current rates for travel allowances is really out of sync with the cost of gasoline now, and those rates are in excess of 10 years old and in no way bear any relation to the cost of gasoline now,” Green told Barbados TODAY.
“It means that, obviously now, public servants who get travel and other allowances do it at their own expense, most of the time to be reimbursed by the Government. So that places them at a significant disadvantage in that they are using their personal resources to support the business of Government. So we are asking for a comprehensive review of the allowances in the public service.”
Green maintained that the NUPW was still pursuing a salary increase for public servants.
“We are still looking at a consideration for an increase in wages and salaries too. We are still looking at that and it is being considered by the union,” the NUPW president said.
Agard told Barbados TODAY the high cost of fuel coupled with “horrible” road conditions in some areas were having a negative impact on public servants who were required to travel.
She said the union was eagerly looking forward to meeting with Prime Minister Mia Mottley who, in the presentation of the Budget earlier this year, promised to re-examine the allowances of public servants next month.
“The NUPW lauds the great service that public servants continue to provide to the country despite being faced with a myriad of issues and concerns, much of which the union is actively working to have resolved.
“One burning issue, however, is the high cost of fuel. The $2.19 per km that a travelling officer is paid cannot adequately compensate the officer for gas and the effective maintenance of the vehicles due to the horrible conditions of some of the country’s roads still, despite a vigorous road repair programme by the Government,” Agard said.
“The Prime Minister in her budgetary delivery assured us that come September there will be a re-examination of the allowances given to public officers and we anticipate that an upward adjustment would be made to those allowances. The NUPW will certainly participate in that process and ensure workers are given a fair deal and opportunity,” the union president added.
