By Anesta Henry
Outspoken trade unionist Caswell Franklyn has accused successive Barbados governments of abusing the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) and has called for its management to be taken out of the state’s control.
He has also knocked the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) for its silence on the issues affecting the NIS.
“National Insurance needs to be taken out of the hands of the politicians, and the politicians must be unable to delve into the fund when it suits them. And I am not only talking about mismanagement by this current administration. I mean, they have done more mismanagement than all the rest put together, but the others have done so too,” Franklyn said on Thursday at a press conference where plans were announced for a Saturday march to protest proposed changes to the NIS.
“That is why I believe that I have not heard not even a whimper from the Democratic Labour Party about these changes to the National Insurance Scheme. These changes are too fundamental, too earth-shattering, and too detrimental to the people of this country. And a party that is seeking to get into office in this country ain’t say nothing about it yet.
“They are too ashamed because they too delved into the National Insurance funds, so they have skeletons in their closet so they can’t say anything. But somebody has to say something, and that is why we are speaking out because there is a void,” added the UWU general secretary at the union’s Belleville, St Michael headquarters.
The march, titled Leave We Lifeline Alone, has been organised by the UWU, The Steering Committee, and the Marcia Weekes Show. It will begin at 10 a.m. at Kensington Oval and is scheduled to end at 1 p.m. at Independence Square where no gathering will be permitted.
Stressing that the Government’s proposal to increase the pensionable age from 67 to 67 1/2 years in 2028 and then to 68 years in 2034 will have a significantly negative impact on citizens, particularly the younger generation, Franklyn said it is important that Barbadians join the march to show their objection.
He stressed that he was not encouraging Barbadians to riot but they need to stand up for what is right.
Franklyn took particular issue with the plan to increase the number of contributions needed to qualify for a full pension, from 500 – about 10 years of contributions – to 750, which is about 15 years of contributions.
“They have added another four years-plus for you to qualify for a National Insurance pension…. What should happen, and what the people of this country should insist on is that Government leave the National Insurance Scheme alone and repeal these two pieces of legislation that they brought in because they will go to the President [Dame Sandra Mason] and the President will sign them and then they will have a time where you have to proclaim them so they will become effective. They need to be taken down before that happens. People will not feel it until they get old, and this is what the Government is bargaining for,” Franklyn contended.
