Chairman of the Employment Rights Tribunal (ERT) retired Justice Christopher Blackman has called on Government to give the body more power to deal with employers who refuse to comply with its rulings, even as a trade union official lamented that the ERT has fallen short of its mandate.Speaking at an Access to Labour Justice: Evaluation and Strengthening of the Employment Rights Tribunal workshop on Tuesday, Barbados Workers’ Union Legal Officer Kamisha Benjamin said although the aim of the tribunal was welcomed, as workers needed to be protected against unfair employment practices, the ERT’s supporting framework needed an overhaul.“The Barbados Workers’ Union firmly believes in the maxim that justice delayed is, in fact, justice denied…. A lot of workers in this island are denied justice because of systemic delays. When the Employment Rights Act was first conceptualised, the Barbados Workers’ Union as a stakeholder raised concerns in an effort to ensure that there will be legislation that would give workers more and better justice.“The reality, however, is that since the Act’s enforcement, justice has been very [delayed]. I don’t think this is a contentious point at all because the statistics support my submission.”
