UPDATE: BVIHSA ‘Cost of Living raise’ an increment – Chairman
The Board Chairman told this news site that the payment planned is likely to be in the vicinity of 2.5%.
He also insisted that the payment is an increment. “No matter how you turn it, it’s an increment. It’s just not based on the traditional model…,” said Bishop Cline.
In a recent response to concerns raised by employees of the BVIHSA with this news site about the Minister for Health and Social Development Honourable Ronnie W. Skelton’s falling back on his promise that increments would have been paid last year, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the BVIHSA Ms Darlene Carty-Baptiste had said that there would be no increments paid to the employees but rather a ‘cost of living raise’.
However it is the contention of the Chairman of the BVIHSA Bishop John I. Cline that the ‘Cost of living increase’ being worked on can be considered an increment. “It is an increase… it’s just not an increase based on either performance or based on the normal rules that specify increase,” insisted Bishop Cline.
He sought to explain that the increment which the employees once enjoyed was calculated from a percentage of the employees’ salaries whereas the ‘Cost of living raise’ is measured by the consumer price index and the cost of living index of the country.
“In light of the financial difficulties that the country seems to be experiencing, [we decided that] instead of doing nothing at all that we would, in order to get something into everyone’s hands, [give a cost of living increase],” he said.
This he said would be done before the end of this year in order that employees are no longer behind economically than they would have been a year ago. “… So we would have given an increase to compensate for a cost of living increase.”
Contrary to the CEO’s response, Bishop Cline said that this news development has not been communicated with staff of the BVIHSA as yet as the plan has not yet been ratified and details finalized.
In her response to this news site CEO Carty-Baptiste had said, “The 2013 fiscal year was financially challenging to the BVIHSA and staff was informed that no increments for 2013 would be disseminated. However as approved by the Board of Directors, the Human Resources Department is currently preparing a 2014 cost of living increase for all staff that will be percentage based. The specifics for this 2014 increase are still being processed therefore further information cannot be shared at this time.”
According to Chairman Bishop Cline the BVIHSA is working to have the new increase completed by the end of this quarter. He was however unable to say whether or not the increase would be retroactive to compensate for employees not having any increase for the past year.
He was confident that the increase would be paid this year, “But under tremendous, tremendous strain,” he stated.
See previous story published on March 11, 2014:
'Management cannot be trusted' - Peebles Hospital staff
- No increments for Hospital staff despite assurance that this was going to be paid almost one year ago
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, VI – “If this hospital management tell you walk you have to put on Usain Bolt track shoes and run like hell because you cannot trust a single word they tell you,” said an aggrieved middle line employee of the Peebles Hospital.
The issue of non-payment of overdue increments to the employees at the local health sector is one that has caused the workers to lose confidence in the Minister for Health and Social Development Honourable Ronnie W. Skelton and his senior management staff.
For several weeks now employees within the sector have been contacting this news site with complaints about the issues. “They fighting up with moving into the new hospital and is so many things they aren’t telling the public… it’s a whole mess. Like we have to pay the cost for their expansion. They not giving us our monies that they owe us and to add more shame and disgrace they are not telling us nothing. It’s like we are their children or something,” complained another employee.
Contacted on the issues of non-payment of increments and other matters of concern, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the BVIHSA Ms Darlene Carty-Baptiste made it clear that there will be no payment of increments.
“The 2013 fiscal year was financially challenging to the BVIHSA and staff was informed that no increments for 2013 would be disseminated. However as approved by the Board of Directors, the Human Resources Department is currently preparing a 2014 cost of living increase for all staff that will be percentage based,” Ms Carty Baptiste told this news site.
She further stated that the specifics for this ‘promised’ 2014 increase are still being processed therefore further information cannot be shared at this time.
Further contact with several staff members following the response from the CEO, many said that they had no knowledge of this new arrangement. “BVIHSA promises are comfort to a fool,” one female employee said while others insisted that such information has not yet reached their level.
Back in April of 2013 workers had raised this very concern with this news site as it relates the non-payment of due increments.
“This is not something that we are begging for, it is our entitlement and it seems like everything else in the BVI is taking precedence over them giving us our dues,” employees had said back then.
Virgin Islands News Online was told by its many sources within the health sector at that employees had just begun to become comfortable following a meeting with Hon Skelton in early 2013, where he gave assurances that increments would be paid for 2013.
“Look they get me so upset that you feel like you can’t trust nothing that they come and tell you these days,” a BVIHSA employee had stated. According to our source, at that time employees were subsequently told during a management meeting that the increment payments were in limbo as there were no monies in the coffers to make the payments. “About two weeks after the Minister come and tell us one thing the management come to tell us another thing. How they expect people to be energised to work and we just working and not getting what is rightfully ours,” a worker had expressed.
In like manner BVIHSA Chief Executive Officer Mrs Darlene Carty-Baptiste had told this news site in a written response through Public Relations Officer Mrs Tamara Gill-Archibald, that as promised by the Minister for Health and Social Development, Hon Skelton, the Authority was awaiting funds from the Ministry in order to distribute increments to employees.
“Once funds are received, the Authority will honour the Minister’s wishes. The information requested from the Ministry was sent and clarification can be received from the Ministry,” she had explained.
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58 Responses to “UPDATE: BVIHSA ‘Cost of Living raise’ an increment – Chairman”
You are not making sense. If you could not go st Thomas to buy you toilet paper because you had to stay within a perimeter since you on call wouldn't you want to be paid for the inconvenience?
The executive bonuses, hiring of cronies for "consultancy" projects, changing to "led lights" for $ millions, promoting/hiring family, friends, & parishioners etc etc. need to stop
$100 million in the hole annual budget now approaching $40 mill same nonsense different day
When will this foolishness end? When
Even if all you have said is true, what happen to all the people that use the hospital services over the past 10-20yrs and haven't paid a dime? Do you think that's fair? You all always try to push the attention towards the people that may 'have' but that won't work all the time. Changing to LED lights will save in the longterm and that's a fact. Who gives a s%^t who makes the money off it as long as it benefits the establishment? Not everyone is sitting on their @$$ waiting for a handout or depending on a 9-5. Some people are go getters and hustlers but then they're labelled greedy because they see the light. When the white people come here on consultancy eating up millions of our money, starting their businesses from nothing into something nobody notices that. But as our own people start to flourish it's a damn problem.
If this is just speculation, you shouldn't be hiding behind the blogs, making these statements.
The Board and Management have been working hard to make do with scarce resources and very outdated fees (e.g. $25 a night for a bed). The elephant in the room that EVERYBODY is avoiding, is that the fees have to increase to support the current hospital (not even talking about the new one). The gov is avoiding this because they want National Insurance in place first. We all know how that is progressing.
They say that you get what you pay for.
Many persons complain of the service that they receive at Peebles, guess what, they are not paying or not paying enough for it.
Question - Are you willing to pay higher fees for good health service??
So I ask the question again - Are you willing to pay higher fees for good health care (so that management can do the things that you would expect them to do)?
You are still side-stepping the question about Executive bonuses and cushy contracts e.g. led lights.
The LED lights is in line with the Authority's conservation efforts.
You are the one avoiding my original question. This is the crux of the matter.
Lastly, please don't make statements that you can't support.
Right now I pay for good health care in the private sector.
You are still side stepping the issue of incompetent management and these questions.
How much did the led conversion cost, who got the contract, was it bid, and what is the return on investment?
How much money has been spent on executive bonuses?
Tell her when she digging hole for people make sure she digs one for herself.
Something needs to happen with some of board members who just sit in meetings month after month just eating the Authority out of money. All them gots to go. All of them looking out for them church members, friends and cousins even when them dead wrong.
What is the problem? What is good for the goose is good for the staff of the hospital for sure!
Lets have a heart here. Mr. Minister please intervene and help your poor constituents.
Come April staff will be to contribute 3.5% to their pension plan. In October we will contribute 3.75% to. The national health insurance plan. I got 7.25% when I added this up but somehow you got a figure in the vicinity of 2.5%. Please explain this.
I also remembered at a meeting late last year you promises us a raised. You were also instructed to pay us our increments. The way I see this! this is not a raise or our increments. in case you do not shop locally the prices have gone up on everything. And that amount can not keep us at our current level when both transaction kick in. Also the agreement that staff have with the board is this-we're not suppose to be any worse off that when we were under government. and this will put us on the worse off list. Not good at all. To add I insult to injury you announced this in the media before telling us. John John John you got me so mad. But I'll be waiting for your response.
While I'm at it how come some people got hefty increases while others are being told there is no money for the. It is also rumored that you will be creating a new division for one of your church crew sidekick to head but still there is no money for us to get a decent increase. Will these person be getting your vicinity 2.5% increase. Enquiring minds want to know. The Board and some management of staff really can not be trusted. waiting on your response.