Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development, Senator Dr. Esther Byer Suckoo. (FP)
Minister of Labour, Social Security and Human Resource Development, Senator Dr. Esther Byer Suckoo, is committed to finding a more central location for the offices of the National Employment Bureau (NEB) to cut down on the commute for unemployed persons.
She gave this assurance recently while addressing a breakfast meeting at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre for stakeholders to sensitise them to the NEB’s proposed transition to the Barbados Employment and Career Counselling Service.
Senator Byer Suckoo explained that the NEB moved from the former National Insurance Building on Fairchild Street to Warrens after the building became unsuitable and the occupants of that building had demanded change.
Cognisant of the calls from the unemployed to relocate to a central area because of the financial strain on their pockets, the Minister said she had been exploring options but the process was not as simple as “placing an officer in Culloden Road to stamp the form for unemployment benefits as has been suggested by commentators”.
“The stamping of the form is a legal stipulation which certifies that the unemployed persons came to NEB to look for work; that they were counselled and shown listings or that they looked into training. This is the proper process. One officer at a desk in a corner at NIS cannot do this. The unit would have to be relocated and we have not yet found a suitable and affordable venue, but we continue to search because we understand the very valid concern expressed,” Dr. Byer Suckoo emphasised.