Lotto agents not happy

THE EDITOR: I am a Lotto agent who is not happy with NLCB’s treatment of its over 1,200 agents.

Lotto agents throughout the country have been receiving calls all this week to go into NLCB’s head office in Port of Spain to sign their contracts. This after four years of operating without a signed contract. In addition, agents are being denied their constitutional right to have legal advice and representation before signing the contracts.

Fearful of victimisation, some agents have already signed without that right to legal advice. According to an attorney, NLCB is not afraid to break the law because for agents to claim our rights we will have to go to court and the board is depending on that not happening because of financial constraints faced by us.

However, agents have come together to pool their resources and will be retaining the services of a lawyer to take up this matter. We (agents) are calling on the board to desist from this illegal act. We are also calling on line minister Colm Imbert to intervene in this matter.

Many agents are also having their machines deactivated after claims by NLCB that it is owed money by agents. In many cases this is not so, as the finance and accounting department is vastly incompetent and inefficient. In some cases NLCB has alluded to that fact, but yet it deactivates agents’ machines, cutting off their much needed income. We have brought this to the attention of the board and management but to no avail. We are again asking the Minister of Finance to intervene.

We are also asking for NLCB and the minister to consider an increase in commissions. The last increase was 12 years ago. Also, a pandemic relief grant which was approved for agents since last year is still outstanding.

Agents’ frustration and anger is mounting and a proposed nationwide shutdown is being considered if our simple, reasonable and just requests are not met.

Agents can contact the following numbers for more information on the pending shutdown: 271-3777, 384-5331.

DEAN PERSAD

via e-mail

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