The Oilfield Workers’ Trade Union (OWTU) is condemning Cabinet over the delay on the approval of the proposed pandemic leave announced by Labour Minister Jennifer Baptiste-Primus in March.
The new categorisation of leave is for the benefit of public servants with no alternative care for their children during the closure of all schools as one of the Government’s decisions taken to curtail the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a telephone interview with Guardian Media yesterday, the union’s chief education and Research Officer Ozzi Warwick said the length of time it was taking for the special leave to be approved, given the growing life and death situation as it relates to virus, was inexcusable.
“That should have been finalised by now. I mean we are in a pandemic. What is taking so long? My understanding is that ‘thing’ has been before Cabinet. Why Cabinet has not decided on this pandemic leave issue?” Warwick questioned.
Guardian Media spoke with Baptiste-Primus via telephone and she confirmed the situation.
“Regrettably, all criteria for pandemic leave had not yet been finalised,” Baptiste-Primus said.
Baptiste-Primus said the guidelines she tabled at a Cabinet meeting were referred to the Finance and General Purposes Committee, which requested that the National Tripartite Advisory Council (NTAC) give its perspective on “two issues that came up.”
Although these two issues were not revealed by Baptiste-Primus, she said there were referred to the NTAC and addressed by the council via modern technology.
“There was no need for a meeting, the information was sent out and NTAC’s comments have been sent back to the Finance and General Purposes Committee,” she said.
Asked if there was now a better chance of a projected timeline for the leave’s finalisation with the NTAC input, Baptiste-Primus said she still could not give any definite date.
“We should have had a Finance and General Purposes meeting on Tuesday of this week but with the situation that we’re into for the next couple days, perhaps next week if the Cabinet meets. But for now it is still before the Finance and General Purposes Committee,” Baptiste-Primus said.
Asked how public servants and
workers were coping with the delay, Baptiste-Primus said any concerns by workers are first raised with the conciliation unit of the ministry. However, she said a couple of people had personally reached out to her inquiring about its status and she could not give any update.
“Unless Cabinet approves, I can’t comment or give any advice,” she noted.
However, Warwick said Cabinet’s failure to do approve the leave raises several concerns as it pertains to decision making in the face of a crisis. He questioned what was the real reason for leaving such a pressing matter on the shelf.
“This thing (COVID-19) is evolving rapidly and therefore quick decisions have to be made,” he said.
“We can take decisive decisions with regards to locking down our borders, which is necessary. But when it comes to decisions as it pertains to workers, why all of a sudden you are hearing all types of excuses.
“Think about it, all those other measures have been signed off on but the measure to protect workers no decision has been made yet.”
He also raised the issue of employers in both the public and private sectors taking advantage of the current situation.
“During this lockdown, which is becoming more intensified, what we have found is that employers are trying to get workers to use their entitlements for this period and that is not right,” Warwick said.
He said when there is a lockdown and employees are at home, it should not be that when workers return to work post-COVID-19, they have lost their entitled benefits.
“Workers should not lose their benefits as a result of the pandemic. It is not something they have brought upon themselves. So where there is a mandatory lockdown, you taking out of their vacation leave and sick leave and all of that? How could that be right,” Warwick said.
