The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB), supports the recent warning issued by the Hon. Senator Dr Esther Byer Suckoo, Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resources Development, to employers to clean up their act of non-attendance to hearings which involved cases brought before the Employment Rights Tribunal (ERT).
The Congress contends that the non-attendance of employers to the hearings having been served the appropriate notice is unacceptable. This practice on the part of employers can be misconstrued as a deliberate action to delay the dispensing of justice, and or to prevent the process of conciliation from taking place; much to the disadvantage of employees who may be the subject of unfair dismissal.
In the defence of the process and ensure that justice is not delayed or denied, CTUSAB has no reservation in giving its support to the Minister’s instructions to the Chief Labour Officer to proceed with hearing the cases, once reasonable attempts have been made to reach the employer.
The CTUSAB is aware that the practice of proceeding once notice has been served has been well established, and can identify with this practice being exercised by the National Insurance Tribunal among others.
CTUSAB in appealing to employers to respect the requirements and the process of the
Employment Rights Tribunal underscores that the ERT came on stream for the purpose of ensuring the quick dispensing of matters, and to do so without reference to the law courts of Barbados at first instance. (PR)