Approximately 950 National Insurance Board of Trinidad & Tobago (NIBTT) workers are one step closer to receiving their outstanding back pay and arrears.
This, as the Public Services Association (PSA) met with the management of NIBTT on Monday to sign off on the terms of settlement.
Monday’s meeting follows instructions given by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar for the NIBTT to honour its commitment to pay outstanding monies owed to workers for the 2014–2016 negotiation period.
PSA President Felisha Thomas spoke to the media after the meeting.
“It was unfortunate to know that an organisation that is self-sufficient and did not require funding from the government to pay their workers was withheld from doing so just for political gain. It was unfortunate, and today the workers they are free from that type of victimisation. Today we had the opportunity to sit with the NIBTT’s management and sign off the terms of settlement that we are now going to register in the court to withdraw the matter that is before the court in relation to the collective agreement dispute.”
Ms. Thomas said the NIBTT workers are elated with the government’s decision.
“They are glad that while the last administration would have withheld their rightful increases in salaries, that this administration, the UNC government, they have ensured that this registered collective agreement is honoured and today the workers are celebrating.”
Ms. Thomas commended the government for its commitment to settling long-standing industrial matters.
“What we are seeing here today is a government that is for the people, a government that is for workers, and we are seeing a government that holds to their commitment to workers and to the people of this country.”
Approximately 350 past employees and 600 present NIBTT employees will benefit from the settlement.