THE CONGRESS of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) supports the call made by the National Union of Public Workers for immediate action on the part of Government in exercising a social conscience in bringing some relief to the retrenched employees of the National Conservation Commission (NCC).
The Congress is highly critical of the fact that the case of the NCC workers has not yet been heard, despite the promise by Government in July that this matter would be expedited.
CTUSAB raps the Government on its failure to provide the Employment Rights Tribunal with office accommodation, a venue for the hearings of the tribunal, and the required administrative support staff which is necessary to the functioning of the tribunal.
The Congress understands that the Employment Rights Tribunal was ready to hear its first cases in November, one of which was that of the NCC workers, but has been unable to do so, as the requisite infrastructure and administrative support staff was not in place.
Whereas the Congress understands that the tribunal has been meeting regularly in an effort to establish operational procedures, this nonetheless brings little comfort to those retrenched NCC employees, who have received no form of compensation to relieve the suffering and hardship they have been experiencing.
CTUSAB strongly believes that the delay in justice constitutes justice denied, and so reiterates its call on Government to act swiftly in this matter, firstly to examine a way to bring some financial relief to the displaced workers, and secondly, to remedy the existing situation, so as to allow for the first hearing of the tribunal to commence in January.
– DENNIS DE PEIZA, general secretary of CTUSAB
