In a stern rebuke of unacceptable harassment targeting public workers, Director General of Communications Maurice Merchant has issued a strong condemnation of abusive and threatening behavior directed at employees of the national Treasury, as the agency works through a massive backlog of outstanding back-pay claims for public servants.
Speaking at the post-Cabinet media briefing held Thursday, Merchant clarified that despite widespread public frustration over delayed payments and perceived shortcomings in customer service, Treasury staff have been pushing forward with extraordinary effort, even putting in extra hours on weekends to fulfill the government’s financial commitments to eligible workers. He noted that one recent incident crossed all lines of acceptable public conduct, after an individual unhappy with the update they received on their back-pay claim allegedly urinated on a workspace inside the Treasury building and issued threats to return with a weapon.
Merchant emphasized that this kind of aggression has no place in interactions with public employees, and appealed to the public for patience as the Treasury and relevant line ministries work systematically to resolve every outstanding claim. He addressed a widespread misconception about the processing delays, explaining that the government has already allocated the full funds required for the back payments; delays stem not from a lack of available money, but from the mandatory administrative protocols that must be followed to ensure accurate disbursement.
He further explained that some claims are delayed because eligible workers were accidentally left off initial back-pay rosters, but the correct path to resolution is to follow the established administrative chain of inquiry: questions should first be raised with the applicant’s employing ministry, which then submits corrected information to the Treasury for processing.
While Merchant openly acknowledged that members of the public have legitimate concerns about customer service standards across the public sector, he stressed that no grievance, no matter how valid, can justify violence, intimidation or abusive treatment of staff carrying out their duties. He closed by urging all residents to practice patience and maintain good decorum when engaging with public workers, noting that government employees deserve humane respect even as the agency works to clear the backlog of unpaid claims.