Gov’t senator rips into BOJ
PRESIDENT GENERAL of the Bustamante Industrial Trade Union (BITU), Senator Kavan Gayle, last Friday blasted the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) for practices that he said were punitive to its employees.
Contributing to a debate to repeal the Bank of Jamaica Act to extend the contract of its governor, Brian Wynter, Gayle charged that the bank’s treatment of its employees was unjust.
“Mr President, I rise to participate in this debate, and I want to say that I start by supporting the objectives of the bill (as) it seeks to secure and protect the tenure of employment of the leader of the central bank,” declared Gayle before launching his broadside.
“I am concerned because there have been a number of breakdowns in issues at the central bank. There are numerous issues leading to disputes. A number of issues have had to be sent to the Ministry of Labour and the Industrial Dispute Tribunal, and I am concerned about that.
“You have one of them that you have a dismissal, went to the ministry and went to the tribunal. The tribunal awarded in favour of the worker to say the worker was unjustifiably dismissed,” he disclosed.
COMPENSATION ORDERED
He said reinstatement was not recommended but compensation was ordered by the IDT and this was opposed by the bank, which appealed the tribunal’s ruling.
“That is an unfair approach by a business,” added Gayle, as he argued that while protection was being given to the BOJ governor, the same should be done for the workers at the bank.
“Now if you are doing it for the leader and deputy governors ... then all the other workers, who have the level of performance, composite skills, qualification and experience, must also feel protected. Mr President, the bank has been losing skills, they have not been able to attain (or) retain the qualified entrance to support the objectives of the bank,” charged Gayle.
He said qualified and competent persons were
leaving the BOJ because of the uncompetitive salaries they were being paid.
Gayle further charged that some workers at the bank are operating with one-year contracts rolling over in perpetuity.
“They are operating in permanent roles sitting side by side in the same job with employees in permanent roles. There is a variance, Mr President, and I am purporting that whatever is good for the goose is good for the gander,” he said to applause, mostly from the opposition benches, while government senators remained silent.
“I support the security of tenure for the governor, but it must trickle down. Every single solitary worker of the central bank must feel secure in their tenure of employment. Mr President, we have raised concerns in this Parliament about the precarious nature of fixedterm employment. Where people abuse it, and there are workers in the bank that every time that anniversary period comes up, they feel nervous.
“They are not afforded other social benefits, because of this fixed-term employment arrangement. And I want to support, Mr President, positions taken for us to put in place policies to deviate from this fixed-term contract employment. And I believe, Mr President, that if we are going to do it, and if we are going to do it right, the State must be the leader in carrying this vanguard,” said Gayle to loud opposition applause and muted applause on his side of the Upper House.