Public service workers in BVI to be transferred
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| Published on Thursday, February 22, 2007 |
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ROAD TOWN, BVI: Qualified non-established public service workers in the British Virgin Islands wishing to be transferred to the Permanent and Pensionable Establishment will have that wish come true later this year.
Preparations are being made for the transfer of qualifying non-established public service workers to the Permanent and Pensionable Establishment. The transfer is in keeping with government’s decision to move long-term non-established workers to the permanent workforce and thereby extend to them the same benefits enjoyed by other public servants.
Keturah Crabbe, special projects officer at the Department of Human Resources, said that qualified non-established employees must indicate whether they will opt to be transferred to the establishment by March 31, 2007.
“This is the time that the government is giving you to exercise your option,” she said. “We need to hear from all non-established workers before that deadline.” Crabbe noted that the Department of Human Resources has been holding meetings with non-established employees to provide information about the transfer process.
There are 565 non-established workers employed by the government. The majority is employed by the Public Works, Solid Waste, and Water and Sewerage Departments, but others work at the Agriculture Department, Environmental Health Unit, Education Department, Social Development Department and Adina Donovan Home for the Elderly.
Non-established workers are governed by the labour code, while established employees are governed by general orders.
Benefits of becoming established workers include more generous leave provisions and pension benefits and access to the due process of the Public Service Commission.
In exchange, established workers are subject to a greater level of accountability and must follow a range of public service rules. Crabbe said that special induction courses will be held for the newly-transferred employees later in the year.
In order to qualify for transfer to the establishment, non-established employees must have served for a continuous period of 10 years on a full-time basis; remained in full time employment on January 1, 2006; and have at least residence status. They must not have been subject to disciplinary action, must have a current satisfactory performance rating and produce a medical report. |
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