Dear Editor,

THIS correspondence is in response to a letter published in the Guyana Chronicle on May 5th, 2019, titled: “NIS Staff Up In Arms Against General Manager.”

The said letter represents serious allegations that besmirch the integrity of the office of the general manager; that of the assistant general manager; administration; the board of directors; representatives of the trade union movement and National Insurance Scheme (NIS) internal processes, specifically relating to promotions and appointments.

Whereas it is easy to believe that the writer is one who is disgruntled over a failed effort at promotion, one cannot help but note the public invitation of external intervention by the Ethnic Relations Commission and political forces. The contents of the said letter are very troubling to the NIS, especially at this very important juncture in the life of the scheme.

The writer is reminded that there is a process for addressing internal grievances of any nature, including any acts of discrimination, through the representative labour union where his/her voice can make a difference. The individual is also advised to meet with the general manager, who still has an open-door policy, so that these concerns can be discussed for merit and clarity. This individual deserves a hearing and this could be facilitated as soon as possible, in the presence of labour representatives.
The aim of this administration is to provide expeditious and quality service to every contributor and those who are impacted by our service. We can only do so effectively through open and respectful dialogue aimed to promote workplace harmony for a productive environment.

As a matter of public information, the following is made clear.
The NIS has a long-standing administrative policy as it relates to employment. In accordance with said policy, all vacancies in the organisation are advertised both internally and externally. Once shortlisted, applicants are contacted for interview sessions which are conducted by a panel whose composition varies, depending on the positions being filled.

Management-level positions require the presence of directors of the National Insurance Board on the panel and unionised positions on the other hand, require the presence of representatives of the trade union, the Transport Amalgamated and General Workers Union. At the recent interviews for the post of Customer Service Officer(s), the Vice-President of the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers Union was a part of three-member panel.

For the tenure of the current general manager of the National Insurance Scheme, employment procedures are followed and appointed personnel are duly qualified. This fact can be easily substantiated by our employment records. Management of the NIS comprises several tiers of managers with various portfolios who meet and make decisions in keeping with industrial best practices. Our workers are in an organised industrial environment and whereas every employee may not be always satisfied, ours is an industrial-friendly climate that has enjoyed years of industrial stability and worker- satisfaction.

Most NIS workers, including myself, have long careers with this organisation. These NIS career workers can be found at various tiers of supervision and management, having qualified themselves for promotion based on a combination of experience, certification, attitudes and other factors considered important to higher performance/appointment.

Our unionised staff enjoy many benefits, which are negotiated through the collective- bargaining process.  We have always had an atmosphere of fairness based on meritocracy in our industrial processes and will continue to do so as we serve this nation. It is hoped that the letter-writer, if indeed an employee, gives this organisation an opportunity to seriously discuss with him/her the grievances that triggered this letter. Failing to do so, the individual is encouraged to continue to work hard to fulfil the mandate of our beautiful organisation.

Regards
Dianne Lewis-Baxter
Publicity and Public Relations Officer