The Employment Rights Tribunal (ERT) has slammed the Barbados Agricultural Management Company (BAMC) for its handling of an employment dispute involving BAMC employee, Joy Coppin.While the settlement avoided a full trial, the ERT reserved tough words for the state-owned farm company, the former owner of estates in sugar production. The tribunal called for strict compliance with labour laws, underscoring the necessity for organisations to adhere to procedural and legislative guidelines to prevent prolonged disputes and ensure fair treatment for employees.During the hearing, details of the dispute were not revealed but the tribunal highlighted significant procedural lapses and a disregard for established rules and regulations.Voicing his displeasure with how the matter was handled, tribunal member Frederick Forde said: “I wish to express my dissatisfaction that the BAMC could not expect the Labour Department to wait from March to the end of the crop to have a conciliation meeting.“That was not in good taste, in my opinion, only because when I read the documents because they were at the first meeting, that failed. It seemed to me that they decided they weren’t going to any more meetings until the end of the crop, and in my mind, that was very disrespectful to the Labour Department.”
