President of the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), Verla De Peiza wants government to provide answers to “two major queries” that were posed to her.
There are “whether the National Insurance [Scheme]’s fast track system that was promised under the [Barbados Economic and Sustainable Transformation] BEST programme has already been set up and whether the oversight committee that was promised has already been set up”.
She told journalists on Saturday night the answers to these questions were needed “as a matter of urgency.” Her comments came after meeting with laid-off tourism workers at the DLP’s headquarters. She said those present at the two-hour meeting were about 30 in number and were drawn from three different institutions, which were not identified.
DePeiza further told the media the meeting “was triggered by the workers” because “they weren’t getting answers going through their usual channels and I was called and asked if we could facilitate”.
“If either of them has been set up, then we need to know in relation to the fast track, what the time limits are that are placed on the fast track because we are dealing with persons who are no longer employed, who still have financial obligations and that really is their critical concern. That they be able to meet the obligations and be able to support their families. So they are anxious to receive their severance in the soonest as possible time.”
De Peiza additionally said, “what I am hearing coming out of the room is that each institution, each business seems to have had a different way of doing things. The end result is the same, that the workers are without their money and they need to know that their rights are upheld. So the information that came out from under the BEST Programme spoke of that fast track and spoke of that oversight committee and it seems as though that is the direction in which we need to go in order to make a complaint…but there is no information…as to how to go about doing that.”
“It seems as though not the majority, [but]… some of the affected businesses are not following what was expected of them and therefore, we need to know what the process is and
we are calling on government to expand on that. Not just what was written in the handout that was given but to give some specifics so they know what their next steps can be.”
When asked if she would be meeting again with the group, she said “if necessary”. However, she said she is “hoping for the swift resolution of their issues because of course, we know that the moratorium in relation to loans and mortgages has come to an end so they are very anxious about that. They have car loans, they have houses with mortgages, they have land loans so they are having these anxious moments. For us rather than contemplating another meeting, we would rather be speaking in terms of they having had satisfactory resolution to their issues.”(MG)
