School custodians blast mandatory retirement plans

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Two Government custodians have blasted the Government for “forcing them to retire” at the end of the month because they have turned 65 years of age.

Both men who have worked for the Department of Education received their letters last month, notifying them that as of the end of this month, “their services are no longer required”.

This after being asked by the Department of Human Resources if “they would like to stay on, after they reached the age of 65”.

Cecil Whitecross and Reginald West have both worked for Government for many years. Both men say they “are simply asking for just one more year of employment before forced retirement”.

In an interview with The Royal Gazette, both men charged that under a “Labour Government”, Bermudians have “been kicked to the curb by their own, by senior executive civil servants who are over the age of 65”.

But when contacted Secretary to the Cabinet, Donald Scott said their claims are “based upon unsubstantiated comments from two gentlemen who will retire at the end of June 2012”.

The custodians cited a list of names of senior civil servants who they believed to be over the age of 65. But on checking the record, that was not the case of two of the three names cited.

Only one of the civil servant’s name called, Ellen Kate Horton proved to be the only one who has turned 65.

Mr Whitecross asserted: “She’s the one who fought Government against the decision to let her go, now she has been kept on for a brief period as a consultant,” he said.

But the overriding message he said is “that what’s good for the goose is not good for the gander”.

“I’m being forced into retirement based on the decision of senior Government executives who are still on the job, who are over the age of 65,” he said.

“If there is a mandatory age of retirement, it should apply to civil servants across the board, from the top down,” he said.

A visibly upset Mr Whitecross charged: “They just threw this in my face and I’m hurt.

“I’m a Bermudian who has supported the Progressive Labour Party for years. If they just kick me to the curb like this I refuse to vote for them this time around,” he said.

“I cannot afford to be out of work right now, I have at least another year of car payments on the loan for my car, now it looks like I may have to sell it after paying for it all this time.

“I only make about $800 a week, if they push me aside like this, I cannot vote for them. I’m not saying I’ve got to stay on until I’m 70, all I need is another year; just one more year of work and I’ll be prepared to just walk away,” he said.

“What hurts me most is that I go the extra mile for the school I work for every single day. This to me is a major slap in the face, I’m just not prepared for this.

“Don’t push me aside when I’m Bermudian, I live here, I’ve contributed to the consolidated fund in this country all my life. I make 7.30am and I show up at 6.45am every day,” said Mr Whitecross.

With the cost of living in Bermuda and the cost of food “going through the window”, Mr West said average Bermudians are going to need help; especially unemployed Bermudians.

“We have a big social problem around here now with average Bermudians who just cannot afford to live,” he said.

“What’s happening now with all these little boys out on the street with no jobs is just the tip of the iceberg; the worst is yet to come.

“Things that are going to happen in this country that we have never seen before, things we never expected to come, but it will,” he added.

Both men received letters signed by Warren Jones, in his capacity as Acting Commissioner of Education dated April 16, 2012.

Mr Whitecross received his letter in the mail, Mr West said his letter was delivered ‘by hand’ to the school he works for.

“My reaction was one of disgust but I wasn’t surprised because I know what they’re doing,” said Mr West. “A joint statement on all the Bermudians who have lost their jobs is due out this week,” said Mr West.

“I have a real problem with people who are also over the age of 65 deciding my fate,” he said. “Mandatory retirement in Government should be across the board.

“If Government wants to save money cut the ones making $150,000 a year or more; we don’t make that,” he added.

“I’m gusted with the way this labour government has taken the country, and its attitude towards the people. I’m really disgusted because this is pathetic.

“This Government has cut the lower bracket of people out. I don’t know what type of society they are trying to make, but you can’t have a society ‘up there’ with no feet. You can’t have a head walking round with no feet,” said Mr West.

“You have got to have feet to walk and right now this Government has cut the feet from under everybody. They may be floating on a cloud right now but remember that cloud could goes because my ‘X’ is worth a weight in gold this time.

“I don’t know if I’m not going to vote or if I’m going to spoil my ballot, but if I have to that’s what I’ll be doing. I’ve told them already I will not be voting for none of them, I have had enough.”

“If this is how they plan to treat me after my support for years, I’m not voting for the Progressive Labour Party period,” said Mr Whitecross.

Mr West also charged that at one public primary school there are two custodians who “go missing on sick leave at least two weeks out of every six week period”.

Mr Whitecross added: “Our union representative have shown us files that are ‘inches thick’ on certain custodians who go out sick on a regular basis with nobody controlling it”.

Meanwhile, Mr Scott said: “The Government does not discuss matter relating to individual public workers with third parties.

“It’s their private and personal business and ought to be respected by the media. Those who wish to volunteer personal information to the media do so of their own volition.

“However, they should not speak about the employment status of other public workers because they cannot know the whole truth of the matter given its confidential nature. Rumour, gossip and non-corroborated ‘facts’ is out of place in credible journalism” said Mr Scott.

“I trust that the interest in the ‘balance of the story’ will be based upon true statements.”

He also attached a copy “of the relevant section from the Act governing retirement from the public service — section 22 which “applies across all categories of public sector workers who participate in the scheme and who are represented by the six unions and the Police Association”.

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