THE ROARING TIGER has gone to rest even before he has gone into retirement.
Such is the assessment of Barbados Labour Party (BLP) Member of Parliament Ronald Toppin of the outgoing general secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), Sir Roy Trotman, who he said was not sufficiently representing the interests of temporary workers who are victims of the current slate of lay-offs.
The St Michael North MP and attorney at law said the soon to be retired general secretary of the National Union of Public Workers, Dennis Clarke, was equally culpable.
“We cannot rely on the unions . . . . These unions now are huffing and puffing, but they’re not blowing down the proverbial houses. They’re not doing it. After huffing and puffing, a simple apology from the Government . . . . or an explanation is enough to cool them down. How times have changed,” Toppin said, adding that Sir Roy was ready to close down the country for issues at the Royal Shop and Sandy Lane Hotel a few years ago and there were no legal grounds to do so.
“All I can say to Sir Roy is your voice is now a mere meow,” he said to the audience at Springer Memorial School for the eighth People’s Assembly hosted by the BLP.
St Michael East MP Trevor Prescod also had some lashes for the labour unions.
He criticised them for not doing their jobs and said they ought to be at the forefront of the workers’ struggles rather than offering all types of excuses.
The Pan-Africanist encouraged all civil servants to stay at home and shut down the country for two days or so, as a form of protest.
“As long as unions remain impotent and anaemic, these people will continue to behave in the way that they do,” Prescod argued.
“You don’t send home 300 people and laugh. You don’t talk about the dismissal of 3 500 people and laugh in the House of Assembly.” (YB)