Duke tells NIB staff: Stay away from work over salary issues

Public Services Association president Watson Duke has called on National Insurance Board (NIB) workers to stay away from work on Thursday and Friday to express their dissatisfaction at the board’s failure to pay retroactive salaries.

After negotiations, Duke said, a collective agreement was made on October 26 for a nine per cent increase in wages for the period 2014-2016 to be paid from November 30. It was also agreed that all outstanding arrears would be paid by December 31.

Duke threatened to take further action if new salaries and back pay are not paid by December 30.

He spoke to the media during a short protest by a handful of workers in front of NIB's Queen's Park East headquarters.

“I don’t know how they are going to make all the payments, but between now and then, there will be a blow for blow. They default on their agreement, and we default on ours. Straight up on that. There must be a handsome rate settled on behalf of these hard-working officers.

“While there was covid19 these officers were busy calculating people pay. They did their job, and they are now treated as if they did nothing.

"Let them honour their agreement and we will honour ours.”

He called on Minister of Finance Colm Imbert and members of the NIB board to make good on their promises.

“We are not in the mood for any small talk, we are in the mood for big talk, solutions. We want this to become real.

"So we advised the workers as of Wednesday evening to go slow, do everything slowly, as they plan out the rest of their financial lives.

“I advised them further to take the next two days off to recalibrate their expenses and future financial obligations. We are quite clear a good offence required a good defence, and we intend to protect these workers’ rights to be paid their salaries to receive their money.”

Newsday sent the NIB communications department an e-mail asking for a comment. In response, NIB director Niala Persad-Poliah said, "The NIB TT wishes to advise that due process was followed prior to the sinning of the collective agreement for the period 2014 to 2016 for staff of Bargaining Unit A and B of the NIB TT."