BLA dismisses delayed payment claim

The Barbados Licensing Authority (BLA) has rejected claims of prolonged wage delays made by one of its tint-testing officers, even as nine workers assigned to the West Terrace, St James site have reported that they have been struggling to receive their fortnightly pay since September.

The group, stationed at the National Cultural Foundation’s car park, told Barbados TODAY earlier this week that seven of them had received only three payments when they should have had five, another officer had received only one payment, and a 24-year-old mother of two had not received a cent since starting the job. She reported that several payments were mistakenly deposited to the wrong bank account, prompting the BLA to write to the financial institution requesting reversals.

In a statement issued on Saturday, the authority insisted that the situation regarding the mother of two arose because incorrect banking information was submitted by her at the start of the job.

“It is deeply unfortunate that the truth surrounding this issue was not accurately presented from the beginning,” the statement read. “We acknowledge the concerns raised by the single tint-testing mother of two, and we understand the hardship and frustration that delayed wages can cause. No worker should feel uncertain about their pay.”

The BLA further clarified: “The initial submission was discussed with the worker, who was encouraged to submit her correct details. Unfortunately, three payments were misdirected after an error was made in recording the information. After the worker reported that she was not receiving payments, the error was discovered and all efforts, including sending a letter to the financial institution, were made to have the funds redirected to the correct account. A copy of that letter was also given to the worker.”

The BLA emphasised that bank reversals are not instantaneous and require time to be completed. “However, the authority expressed disappointment that, despite staff efforts to assist, the situation escalated due to what it described as the worker’s disrespectful and aggressive behaviour toward employees handling the matter.

“It is indeed sad that the issue has reached this point. However, we cannot condone the submission of false records, unprofessionalism, and improper conduct.”

The statement also said that “all other tint workers have been paid, noting that delays exist from time to time for some workers who do not sign or submit invoices on time”.

The authority reiterated “its commitment to transparency, accurate reporting and professional standards, while urging all individuals engaging with the BLA to provide correct information and conduct themselves respectfully”. (SZB)