SOURCE- BARBADOS TODAY- Barbadian former workers of the Antigua-based LIAT (1974) Limited have begun to receive the final part of their $10 million severance payout, winding up one of the longest waits ever for a state-owned enterprise to compensate former workers.
Barbados TODAY confirmed on Monday that the government has started honouring the bonds component of the payout after the cash element was disbursed in July last year.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley had promised just over a year ago that the administration would pay all 89 eligible Barbadian workers up to $75 000 each in cash according to their calculated severance liability and that any payment over $75 000 would be paid in bonds.
The latest cash payment cost just over $4 million, while the price tag for the bonds has been put at a little under $6 million.
With the former workers having been paid the cash portion last July, the first disbursement from the bonds has now been made and will continue for another 41 consecutive months.
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And the man who had been spearheading the fight for terminated Barbadian employees to be compensated, not only expressed delight at this development but showered the Barbados government with praise.
“The former staff of LIAT are finally being fully settled in terms of the bonds portion that was promised to us that was part of the ex-gratia settlement from the Government of Barbados…and once again, we are extremely grateful,” former pilot Neil Cave told Barbados TODAY.
“The hardship we have gone through was quite significant over the last three years, and the government would have honoured the cash component in July last year, and they are in the process now of honouring the bonds which would equate to the remainder of the severance for the staff. So everybody is absolutely elated, because it happened quite suddenly.”
He pointed out that those affected can now put the whole saga of LIAT behind them, to move forward and to “really truly rebuild their lives; and that is all thanks to our government.”
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But while he is over the moon for the Barbadian employees, Cave said he is hurting for his Antiguan counterparts, whose government was able to find $20 million to invest in a revived LIAT but could not reach a settlement for committed and loyal former airline workers who continue to suffer.
“The only two governments so far that have settled the matter of the former LIAT staff… some 600 of us… would be Saint Lucia and now Barbados is fully meeting its commitments,” he noted.
Prime Minister Mottley announced in Parliament in March 2023 that the government would pay the LIAT workers’ three-year-old outstanding severance.
While waiting to get their entitlements, some ex-workers lost homes, vehicles and credit cards. Many more had lost faith in the carrier’s shareholder governments of Barbados, Antigua and Barbuda, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Dominica.
Mottley had explained that her administration could not have afforded to pay the Bajan employees’ severance any earlier due to insufficient funds.
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20mil, it’s more like 80mil since he went and borrow the rest to satisfy the 30% agreement between him Gatson and the crooked Nigerians.
This man Gatson Browne is way over his head in debt, and continues to make terrible decisions after terrible decisions with Antiguan’s hard working tax money.
I’m quite sure his bills are paid and food on his table, with all this damn traveling and dancing aboard before his foreign idols.
They always say to be careful of what you wish for, but there is no way on this earth Antigua and Barbuda (and yes Redondo @the great Rasmood.lol) could be for the worse with this corrupt man out of office, no way.
I warned you all way way back,that he will flee to Nigeria when the shit starts hitting the fan and the investigations begins, in fact I wouldn’t be surprised if he already have a few of those young wives lined up for his sorry arse over there in Nigeria, it wouldn’t surprise me one bit.
What a waste of man Antiguan’s have put in office for the last 10yrs, waste a tell yah.
But hey you reap what you sow, and Antigua has invested its time into a fool for Prime Minister who intern made himself the dumbest financial Minister in the entire western hemisphere
This country has brought in millions upon millions before COVID and after COVID, and this man has squandered all of it and continues to “borrow Antigua out of debt”, his words not mine.
A bloody joke indeed.
LIAT (1974)LTD is owned by 4 CARICOM COUNTRIES NAMELY BARBADOS,THE MAJOR SHAREHOLDER,ANTIGUA, DOMINICA AND ST VINCENT.It is not privately owned.The 4 shareholding GOVERNMENTS claim that LIAT (1974)LTD IS BANKRUPT it is a limited liability company and they are not obligated to pay severance.WHATABOUT CLICO/BAICO?A PRIVATELY OWN COMPANY.NOTE:Policy holders in TRINIDAD, BARBADOS ,GUYANA, BAHAMAS, SURINAME, JAMAICA ETC .RESPECTIVE GOVERNMENTS HAVE PAID THEIR POLICY HOLDERS.Only the OECS COUNTRIES are yet to receive their SETTLEMENT which is in it’s 15 YEARS.The BARBADOS GOVERNMENT HAVE SET A PRECEDENT WITHOUT A RULING FROM THE ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA HIGH COURT ,by paying the BARBADOS BASE WORKERS 100% SEVERANCE TRIGGERING ARTICLE 7 OF THE REVISED TREATY OF CHAGURAMAS.Therefore, the 4 SHAREHOLDING GOVERNMENTS are OBLIGATED to PAY ALL THE AFFECTED WORKERS 100% SEVERANCE WHICH IS DUE TO THEM BY LAW.
It seems unfortunate that some workers are being relieved from the hardship they have seen while the other workers are still left in the lurch.Were’nt they all working for the same company?Should’nt this matter have been dealt with collectively? This matter cannot be closed.All workers at this point should be able to” really truly rebuild their lives”.Unfair settlement.