Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

BVIPA’s staff pay cuts were across the board under NDP — Pickering

BVIPA’s staff pay cuts were across the board under NDP — Pickering

Following hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017, pay cuts happened across the board for workers at the BVI Ports Authority (BVIPA) and not imposed only on lower-level staff.

Former Acting Deputy Managing Director of the BVIPA, Akeem Pickering drew that comparison while speaking on NDP radio last evening, May 4.

Pickering was at the time pointing out the stark contrast in the leadership of the Ports during the current health pandemic and after hurricanes devastated the BVI nearly four years ago.

“The management team after Irma and Maria said we’re going to have to cut salaries, but we’re not just cutting salaries of those below. We are also cutting salaries for everyone on top and so from the Managing Director, down to the Janitor, everybody got cut across the board. We didn’t just cut the salaries of those below and keep the salaries of those on top intact. Everyone got cut across the board,” ” Pickering explained.

Give the people back their money


Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Marlon Penn suggested staff should be given back monies for the pay cuts that were announced shortly after the onset of COVID-19 last year.

Penn said while there might be financial issues at the Ports, it is not for the government to put the burden on the backs of consumers, taxpayers or the low-level workers who could ill afford to shoulder that burden.

“Staff salaries were cut — the low-level staff, the daily paid workers. And we’re saying that ‘we made a saving’. But we made savings off of people who could less afford the monies that were lost –persons who were already struggling prior to the whole issue of COVID-19,” Penn expressed.

He insisted that the government must find a way to help those persons who lost income at the Ports through the pay cuts.

The BVIPA reportedly saved nearly half-a-million from cutting the work hours of its low-level workers.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
×