Headlines:
| Barbados employers urged to pay Christmas bonuses |
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| Thursday, 19 November 2009 | |
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Barbados
based economists and specialists in the area of labour relations are urging
employers not to cut their workers Christmas bonuses. The analysts are calling on employers who can afford it to pay the bonuses despite the global slowdown which resulted in sweeping job losses across the island. They believe the much-anticipated year-end bonuses should not be used as another cost-cutting measure, as it could result in further problems in the economy. Director of Industrial Relations in the Barbados Workers' Union (BWU), Robert "Bobby" Morris explains that the money is necessary to keep the economy turning, as workers spend what they earn in local shops and supermarkets. Mr. Morris says if a company is profitable, it should show its appreciation to its workers even if the amount was reduced, arguing that such a move would send the correct signal to the workers. President of the Barbados Economics Society (BES) Anthony Johnson adds that because of the recent job cuts, there was justification for bonuses now more than ever, even if they were scaled down. He argues that bonuses that are contractual and tied to performance indicators they should be paid once the employee meets all the requirements. The analysts also went to bat for workers laid off during the year arguing that companies should ensure those persons receive bonuses as well. They argue that if a person was employed to an organisation for some part of the year that the bonus was earned, the equitable action would be to give a pro-rated amount of the bonus. |