Email

Print

Last night on 7News, we featured the comments of Chairman of the Social Security Board of Directors, Doug Singh. He told us that the Board of Directors will only consider an increase in wages and benefits for staff within the context of an increase in payments to pensioners.

Well, that didn't make the workers representative which is the Christian Workers Union too happy at all!! A release today says that Singh seems intent on, quote, "raising public sentiments against the workers and providing misleading and inaccurate information." First, off they say he commented to 7NEws in bad faith because both sides had agreed to a complete media blackout.

Second, they say his comments are disingenuous and prejudicial especially what he had to say about pensions, for staffers and contributors:

Doug Singh - Chairman, Social Security Board

"I will say here now and I think I'm doing so in the best interest of negotiations. The board was presenting at this last meeting with a proposal for an increase in pension or pension benefits under the employee pension programme and it's substantial; my calculation it's about 16%. The board has sent a signal clearly at the end of that meeting that it won't even consider that until it is first able to consider pension increase to pensioners. Secondly, it certainly will not be in those numbers."

The CWU says, quote, "It is totally not true that the CBA seeks an increase in pension for employees." They say that it is not the union, but the Pension Scheme's board of trustees which has recommended that the Board of Directors consider a raise to the four 4 Pensioners under that Staff Pension Scheme. They insist, it is not a 16 % raise as was suggested by the Chairman.

And then he spoke – at our suggestion – about administrative bloat – and the union also didn't like that. Here's what Singh said:

Doug Singh - Chairman, Social Security Board

"I will tell you something that the board of directors has said and they said it at the last negotiating time; that the board must consider and look positively at the ability of the organization to increase pension to pensioners. Ultimately the social security funds are for the people who contribute."

Jules Vasquez

"Not for administrative blow-ups?"

Doug Singh - Chairman, Social Security Board

"Not for administrative blow-ups and so whatever the staff get will be a function of what the board can recommend for pensioners out there. So we are looking at the possibility of recommending a pension increase for pensioners; this year hopefully. And I'll tell you, I have said this to the negotiating party and for management that really we are serious about this. Ultimately the board of directors is here to face guard the funds to look after the interest of the beneficiaries. The staff is there at the mercy of the structure and ultimately we have to set priority where priority is supposed to be; and we are going to look at pension benefits for pensioners and we're going to give that priority above any increases under the collective bargaining agreement."

And the union also didn't like that remark – and fired back by saying, quote, "The Chairman failed to disclose to the media that the Board of Directors of the Social Security Board has approved and received for themselves in excess of a 150% increase on their allowances since their tenure." Singh told us that there was no increase to the Chairman's allowance.

The union also took Singh to task for other comments he made in the thousand word press release. But, speaking on pensions, the Union says, quote, "It is indeed unconscionable that there has not been a raise for Pensioners since 2002 but that…falls squarely under the…Board of Directors and the Minister…."

They conclude,, quote, "We are disappointed at the Chairman's uncalled for comments, which seem to have been done more with a view to cause negative perception on the Staff of SSB and incite public sentiments against them," end quote.