— peeved over long delay in processing claims
MEMBERS of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU) from the Rose Hall Estate branch, picketed the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) Office in New Amsterdam, Berbice, yesterday morning (June 27). The workers said they were peeved over the very long delay by the National Insurance Scheme’s New Amsterdam Office in processing their claims, whether for sickness benefit, industrial benefit, survivors’ benefit, pensions, the updating of contributors’ contribution records, etc.
According to information received, the NIS New Amsterdam office is unable to process claims, owing to a number of critical computer components that were damaged a few months ago as a result of the office’s leaky roof. Contributors’ claims have to be processed at the NIS Office at Port Mourant, sixteen (16) miles away, and it takes many days.
Workers pointed out that they depend entirely on their benefit payments, which are delayed for weeks.
Some of their placards read, “GAWU: NIS contributions deducted promptly – Why long delays in settling benefits?”, “GAWU, NIS money wasted – Leaking roof damaged computers,” “GAWU: Had roof been repaired in time – no waste of money to buy new computer components,” “GAWU: Claimants not getting their benefits on time – cause suffering to them,” “GAWU: Who failed to heed in time warning of defective roof in time?”
Workers are seeking to get the New Amsterdam Office of the NIS to become fully functional once again, especially during the course of the second sugar crop, which will commence next week at Rose Hall Estate; so that they will not encounter long delays to have their claims processed.
When this publication contacted the NIS New Amsterdam Office yesterday to get their perspective on the issue, the management said it was not at liberty to speak with the press regarding the matter.
However, telephone numbers were presented by the NIS New Amsterdam for the General Manager of the NIS in Georgetown, Ms Doreen Nelson, and the Public Relations Officer, Ms Dianne Lewis-Baxter.
Efforts to contact the two proved futile.