The Barbados Union of Teachers is urging lawmakers to amend the proposed Protection of Wages Bill so public officers are guaranteed timely pay and have access to remedies when salaries are delayed, arguing the current draft leaves them without the same protections as private-sector workers.

President Rudy Lovell said that while the union supports the bill’s core objective of recognising an employee’s right to receive earned wages on time, public servants also need reliable mechanisms to address occasional pay delays.

He said: “The BUT hopes to see this legislation updated to give teachers and other public officers confidence that their salaries will arrive on time, helping to prevent the personal and financial strain caused by delayed wage payments.”