The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Insurance Minister Alfred Sears said conciliation talks have started between the Union of Public Officers and the National Insurance Board and that he expects “there will be a meeting of minds” soon over unresolved issues.

“A week and a half ago, I met with the leadership of both unions, the management union, as well as the public officers union and the next day, I met also with the chairman of NIB and the acting director of NIB,” he said.

“Both sides are now in conciliation with the director of labour. I’ve been advised on the progress of that conciliation and I expect that there will be a meeting of the minds over the issues which are currently in dispute.”

His comments came after NIB line staff voted in favour of industrial action during a strike poll held last week.

Nadia Vanderpool, UPO’s president, told The Tribune that the strike poll was held because, for more than two years, NIB failed to resolve the union’s grievances, including merit pay increase issues.

She accused NIB of not adhering to the Industrial Act’s stipulations about when payments must be made and said for three years, workers have been denied three months of their new salaries.

Incorrect increment increases for people promoted is another concern, she added.

“The lowest on that scale I think, is $1,125, and it goes right up to, I think, about $1,900,” she said. “So that is the new scale that the board is supposed to be referencing when it comes to promotions, but, like I said, the board decided that okay, we’re going to continue to use the $1,200 for whatever reason.”

Meanwhile, NIB chairman Philip McKenzie has previously said the board is not trying to deny employees benefits.

He said the industrial agreement changed the merit pay assessment period, but not the pay period.