THE NATIONAL Union of Public Workers (NUPW) today formally starts the process of selecting a new general secretary to replace Denis Clarke.
President Walter Maloney said that unlike what happened with the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) last Saturday, picking a new NUPW general secretary would not involve an election.
A number of prospective candidates in and outside of the union with the required credentials were likely to be shortlisted and interviewed prior to an appointment, he reported.
He said along with the academic requirements, age was a factor. His thinking was that the union needed someone who could spend at least the next ten years building and strengthening it.
Declaring that the international trade union movement was “at the crossroads” and facing major threats to its survival, he said the new general secretary would have to be capable of responding adequately to the challenges and steering the labour group through some “uncharted waters”.
Clarke is retiring at the end of October and Maloney is bowing out in March next year.
Last Saturday, deputy general secretary of the BWU Toni Moore was elected to replace veteran trade unionist Sir Roy Trotman.
Yesterday, both Maloney and Clarke paid tribute to Sir Roy and Moore.
Maloney said Sir Roy had done “significant work” on behalf of the working class in Barbados, the Caribbean and elsewhere.
He described Moore as a young unionist “with a lot of potential” and someone “who has passion for the [labour] movement”.
Clarke said Sir Roy had left her large shoes to fill but he thought she would do well. (TY)
