CBH workers begin to receive overdue overtime pay

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Sanitation workers wait to receive their overtime pay
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By Theresa Goodwin

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The government has delivered on a promise to pay a portion of outstanding overtime pay to workers within the Sanitation Department at the Central Board of Health (CBH) who took industrial action in protest last week.

A handful of them gathered at the department’s headquarters on upper Church Street yesterday where they received payments covering the period September to December 2019 and January to March 2020.

A small group of workers walked away complaining after their names were not included on the list to receive a cheque.

It is unclear at this time whether or not the payments that were received on Tuesday will be enough to quell the protest action.

Shop Steward Sonia Daniel told Observer that it was quite unfortunate that some of her colleagues came with much anticipation only to leave empty-handed.

“They have been owed for some time, only to hear some are being paid six months, two months, and four months, so they are very much disgruntled at this time,” Daniel said.

While Daniel did not give a definitive answer as to whether or not more protest action could be seen in the coming days, she did not rule out the possibility.

Chief Health Inspector Sharon Martin said the department will be doing an assessment to determine who received payment and who did not, and whether they qualified for overtime pay.

“Some of them did not work overtime but they believe they should be paid. Some are also making an argument for back pay which is another matter which has to be dealt with,” she explained.

Scores of CBH employees took part in last week’s action which started with a sit-in on Monday and continued over subsequent days. They were the latest from a series of government departments to clamour for owed money in recent months.

Others have included staff from Public Works, state media ABS, the quarries, Solid Waste, the Fiennes Institute, Clarevue Psychiatric Hospital, the Care Project, school bus drivers, and APUA.

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