Workers in this country are being told that there is no such thing as an entitlement to 26 weeks of unemployment benefits.
Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development, Dr. Esther Byer Suckoo explained that the 26 weeks, is the maximum period for which the benefit can be received, and only if no job is available for the unemployed person. As such, she is reminding unemployed persons that should they refuse to be counselled by the staff of the National Employment Bureau (NEB), or turn down job opportunities, they should not have their unemployment forms stamped.
She made the comments at a breakfast event held yesterday morning at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre to introduce the Barbados Employment and Career Counselling Service (BECCS), which is set to soon replace the NEB.
“By law if you refuse to be counselled and you just come to have your form stamped, you’re not supposed to have it stamped and therefore you would discontinue your unemployment benefits. You see, contrary to popular belief there is no such thing as an entitlement to 26 weeks of unemployment benefits and I do know there are persons who refuse to accept opportunities for interviews because their unemployment benefit has not yet run out, they still have several weeks to go, that is a notion we want to disabuse persons of,” the Labour Minister insisted.
She is adamant that persons utilising the services of the NEB must not exploit them, as this country remains one of only a few countries in the world to offer an unemployment benefit. She made the point while lamenting that it is often taken for granted because it has been in place for so long.
“In the literature there is still debate going on as to whether or not there should be unemployment benefit in some countries in the world. So we cannot support the abuse of our system, and indeed, the new and improved NEB will see better counselling and placement and less people relying on the unemployment and instead having the satisfaction of employment,” she stated. (JRT)