‘Burnout’

The island’s largest public sector trade union is reporting an acute shortage of workers and evidence of staff burnout that’s spreading across Central Government.

General Secretary of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) Richard Greene revealed on Friday that an example of the problem was manifested in Friday’s work stoppage by staff of the School  Meals Department at the Harbour Industrial Estate in St Michael.

Greene said the NUPW is keeping a close watch, not only on the situation at the School Meals Department, but on industrial relations developments across the public sector at this time.

“The NUPW is monitoring the current industrial relations climate, especially relative to the work stoppage at the School Meals at the Harbour Estate. We recognise that there is an acute shortage of staff at a number of Government departments,” the union leader told Barbados TODAY.

“I can’t say what percentage of the service is affected, but what I can say is that it is at the point where it is causing some overwork and burnout of staff in the affected departments,” he disclosed.

Greene said the problem, which appears to be growing, is resulting in absenteeism as well.

“The absenteeism then adds now to the staff shortage. What we recognise is that people have been going on various types of leave, retirement and resignations, and the Government is not bringing in replacements for them. That is what is causing the major problem and is leading to the shortage.

“We recognise the shortage more and more in a number departments, but obviously leading with the School Meals Department today as one of the areas where workers took action in response to the shortage,” he added.

Meanwhile, Greene said the NUPW is expected to be back at the bargaining table between the middle and latter part of next week to restart pay negotiations with the Ministry of the Public Service.

He said the union met recently with its members and updated them on the status of the talks.

“We met with the members to update them on the progress of the negotiations and we updated them on the latest proposals. We let them know what is going on for transparency and they have asked us to continue to negotiate along the principles that guided the negotiations for us,” the NUPW general secretary stated.

Greene revealed that the members instructed the leadership to try to bring some parity during negotiations between the proposed hike in wages and salaries and the rising cost of living.

“We are to go back to the Ministry of the Public Service and let them know we are ready to restart negotiations. Based on the last meeting, the ministry is looking to meet as soon as next week…middle to late next week,” the union boss said, while declining to share the level of increases being sought from the Government. emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb