The Barbados Minister for Labour says the country’s Public Service lacks quality leaders with many good workers unable to make their mark.
Speaking during the Parliamentary debate on the Public Service (Appointment) Bill 2020, Colin Jordan highlighted some challenges facing the Public Service which he said was affecting productivity and must be corrected.
“I have recognised that the lack of leadership is holding up some good public officers, who want to soar, who want to contribute to nation building. They are held back by people who feel that their incompetence is going to be shown up,” Mr Jordan said.
“Persons called to serve cannot become leaders just because they have been in a position for the longest period of time,” he said.
Mr Jordan was supported by Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Cynthia Forde (pictured) who said there was a need for an appraisal system to be implemented in the Public Service.
“We need a means of evaluating the performance of public sector workers — a system that signals to workers they must give of their best on the job and there must be some level of accountability on account of how they perform,” Ms Forde said.
“Often, people take a day off and nowadays, it is for their own birthday, then it is for their husband’s birthday or partner, whoever. Then it is their mother’s anniversary and now we have funerals on mornings and evenings,” she said.
Ms Forde said there were some people who simply did not follow the rules.
“We need to let people know that when they are consistently absent, there will be some penalty for all of those days absent,” she said.
Bridgetown, 5 October 2020
