The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

MEMBERS of the Union of Public Officers are upset over recent hires at the National Insurance Board, alleging nepotism and claiming that they have no proper representation from their union.

The Tribune was contacted by executive and non-executive members of UPO who expressed deep concern over what they claim to be transpiring at NIB.

“We offer courses for those interested in becoming officers (in a certain department) and it can be taken by internal staff or people trying to be hired at the corporation,” one union member, who asked to remain anonymous, said.

“You sign a document saying if you are internal staff and you fail the course, you return to your position in the corporation, but if you are not an employee already, you are not hired.”

The employee claimed that a relative of a union member allegedly “took the course, failed it and was hired.”

It was also claimed that a similar situation occurred with a relative of another NIB official. “This is nepotism. Those are the prominent ones. There were many more who failed the course and yet HR hired them,” the NIB worker claimed.

The Tribune spoke with a manager in the department in question who neither confirmed nor denied the allegations, but instead said the human resources department had to deal with that matter.

Messages left for NIB’s deputy director for human resources, Cyprianna Bethel were not returned.

The UPO member went on to allege that not only were these people hired after failing the test, but they were brought in with the title of the position they didn’t meet the requirements for and then deployed to other departments in NIB.

“It’s like no one is checking for us,” the UPO member continued. “What about our rights? If our members who failed the course have to return to their same position and same salary, how can you bring in someone from the outside who failed the course and then give them the title and salary over our people? That’s not fair. They are here doing zero work and not making any contribution, but getting paid big bucks.”

As of May 1, Laverne Pople stepped in as interim president of UPO because its former president Ghion Roach was promoted into management and could no longer serve as president. Now, there are calls for her to resign.

“Ms Pople has refused to answer our calls and discuss this matter with us. This is not fair. She cannot have our best interest at heart. Who is really representing us? We have no one. In the best interest of the members of the Union of Public Officers, Ms Pople should resign immediately as she no longer serves us,” the employee claimed.

The Tribune contacted Ms Pople about the allegations, however, she was tight-lipped.

She said she was “not dealing with that” and directed this newspaper to NIB’s HR department and the director.

Union members have said that NIB executives have informed them repeatedly that there is a freeze on promotions and raises the reason as being that the agency is strapped for cash. They also said that earlier this year, staff members were told their owed increment payment had to be deferred for the same reason. Calls were placed to Brensil Rolle, the minister responsible for NIB, to bring clarity to the matter, but they went unanswered.