The 25 000-strong Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) said it was never approached by the Democratic Labour Party (DLP) during its manifesto planning.
However, general secretary Toni Moore said that two other parties did get in contact with the union in an effort to discuss workers’ issues.
Moore spoke to the NATION Saturday during the first day of BMEX and said this kind of treatment from the governing DLP was nothing new for unions.
“The current administration has not met with us, but that is consistent with the way the current administration has treated us . . . . We’ve met with Solutions [Barbados] and the Barbados Labour Party after requests from the leadership of those parties to meet with us,” she said.
In addition to meeting with the BWU, Moore said those parties committed towards having dialogue with the union if elected to office.
The union and Government have been locked in protracted negotiations, with public sector workers not receiving a salary increase since 2009.
Last year 20 000 Barbadians, backed by the island’s four main trade unions and the Barbados Private Sector Association, took to the streets to protest the Government’s austerity measures.
Moore called for the union’s members to focus and assess the election and also assess the leadership of the parties. She distanced the union from any talk of agreeing with the Barbados Sustainable Recovery Plan.
“On the issue of sustainable recovery, I remain concerned that the union is being linked to a sustainable recovery plan which we have not had a part in developing.
“As recently as a few days ago, I heard it being said by the Minister of Finance that the unions have supported this plan. The unions have not supported a plan.
“The union has given its commitment to working towards any plan that can bring about sustainable recovery,” she added. (AD)
