BVIHSA employees feel tricked
Pockets of BVIHSA’s workers were gathered at lunch venues and at their various places of work all discussing what they said was a ‘hot spoon in their mouths’. They were referring to the 3% ‘Cost of Living’ increase they were given starting at yesterday’s payroll (April 15, 2014) and the newly instituted pension plan of 3.5% that goes into effect at the end of April 2014.
The cost of living increase replaced the customary increment that they once enjoyed but have not had for some number of years.
“This is nothing but a trick. That what they did was nothing but a clear attempt to trick us and that hurts us very much,” one staff expressed. The workers who cannot be named for obvious reasons said that they were told of the new compulsory pension plan at a recent meeting and were subsequently served letters to solidify.
“It’s like they give you a piece of bread crumb on a platter and before you could put it to your mouth to eat it they scramble it back and then pull out a teeth from your mouth at the same time,” said an angry worker.
They said that the new pension plan is across the board and even permanent and pensionable employees are required to make the 3.5% contribution. “This is the worse I have ever experienced in the management of this health services, I have been here for 30 odd years and this is the worse season ever,” said a senior staff.
“We are health workers and very soon the premier will have to leave that office and come and nurse us because we are all going to fall down with high blood pressure one day,” said another who added, “These people making these decisions have their bread well buttered, their children having the high life showing off on our kids, they sleeping in cold rooms, walking on posh carpet and eating the finest food, going to the gala event enjoying the best of the world and its all off our backs and this is not fair.”
They said that while they were aware that there is no way out other than to leave the job, they cannot, given, “these are hard guava seasons and they know that but we just want the rest of the world to know what is going on here with us. They trying to muzzle the press but thanks VINO for listening to us, we know they would want to come on here and trying to sugar up things but this is the raw facts that we telling you.”
The workers were even more hurt as they claimed that they are never celebrated as playing a pivotal role in the survival of the Territory. “You hear about this 100k for teacher awards, this and that gala for teacher, this and that for everybody except us, you know how that feels?” asked a very emotional worker.
Another said, “What you hear is they giving us this training for upgrading their standards of work, for better care for patients but they forget that we are human with flesh too and heaven forbid one day we will all end up in a sorry state and they will see who will care for who. We are some of the most unhappy [people] in the BVI workforce and that’s a fact.”
48 Responses to “BVIHSA employees feel tricked”
Is the 3.5% increase needed/ justified to meet todays increase cost of living, if so I understand why they are upset. The rich may claim that they earn what they make but in all honesty no man is an island and the rich should be ok with giving up their 10th pair of shoes so the poor man can have one!!!!!
He better off at the Church NDP must gooooo.
Is a mandatory pension plan legal according to the Labor Code? Certainly if there is a voluntary agreement between employee and employer but mandatory?
http://www.bvigazette.org/extrafile/G00307_Labour%20Code%20Act,%202010.pdf
Cut the folks some slack. The principal of the senario hurts or have we forgotten how to live by principles in the BVI?