The following is the New Year Message from Toni Moore, general secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union.
The New Year remains the symbol of new hopes, new beginnings and celebrations. As many people look to the New Year to bring about improvements or change in their circumstances; in many respects, it may be regarded as a symbol of renewal.
Perhaps it would be deemed acceptable for the Labour Movement to review the year 2018 and conclude that it has been an eventful one which has brought us many challenges. It is reasonable, too, to conclude that we are set for a tough year ahead in 2019.
However, the staff of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) went beyond such reflection, and spent the closing moments of 2018 planning for and anticipating the new challenges and opportunities that the New Year may bring. Among other things, in our planning we renewed our commitments to:
• Deliver for youth through education and create spaces for young people within our union, the labour market and beyond;
• Deliver for domestic workers and continue our lobby for the ratification of ILO Convention 189, to guarantee rights for domestic workers and to roll out education and training programmes for domestic workers that would improve their ability to pursue opportunities across the region;
• Empower our membership through education and training
• Improve our service delivery;
• Expand the education and training offerings at the Frank Walcott Labour College, to include training for retrenched workers;
• Diversify the services we offer to our members and to the wider public.
The BWU recognises that, as a member-driven organisation, we must continue to pursue the goals and vision of our members. For this reason, we committed to redoubling our efforts to create a bold new imprint for this Union. The BWU recognises that now is not the time to “take our foot off the gas”, because the fight for workers’ rights has still to be won.
As we work towards strengthening our union, we recognise that counteracting the forces that undermine worker progress will require greater focus by us, especially as it relates to ensuring representation for those who have been relegated to the ranks of contingent labour, those who are superficially regarded as the self-employed and the many who come face-to-face with the scandal of Zero Hours contracts.
For it is well recognised that the informalisation of labour exacerbates inequalities within a society. The general characteristics of work in the informal sector are lower wages, the non-payment of taxes and the lack of access to employment rights and to social protection.
So, whilst for instance, the BWU understands the motivation of government to reduce its fixed costs, especially given the prevailing economic situation, we also regard it as unfortunate that such circumstances typically drive workers into informality, thereby prohibiting a certain sense of social fairness and cohesiveness; values which we regard as being worthy of preserving. Additionally, it potentially imposes a greater burden on those who can more easily be tracked in formal employment.
The BWU recognises that in many respects change is needed and indeed introversion and escapism have never been our mantra. We remain keen to embrace new technologies and the future of work, but our message is simple – we must be allowed to shape the change; our voices must be at the heart of the debate as we consider how we all can ensure that work remains decent and how jobs can even be made better in the future.
In this vein, we therefore issue a word of caution, not only to the Government, but to the Private Sector employers that the Barbados Workers’ Union will not support working arrangements that pit workers against each other as they compete for casual forms of labour or that even pits unions against each other.
Amongst other things, we will pursue our efforts to have address to the deficiencies in the Employments Rights Act; but not as others who would wish to remove existing rights that were agreed in the first place to level the playing field for workers, and particularly for the most vulnerable workers in the employment relationship.
The BWU reiterates its availability and commitment to respond to you. The Executive Council of the Barbados Workers’ Union looks to the New Year with expectation, but more so, with a renewed drive to serve and deliver on our Mission. As we enter 2019, may we all be inspired to do more and better to ensure a future for ourselves, our children and our country where the right to opportunity and a better way of life is guaranteed. The tremendous sacrifices which workers have made over the years and which, in more recent times many have been forced to commit to, must not be in vain.
We take this opportunity to thank all of you who continue to support our efforts, particularly our hardworking staff and shop stewards. We wish all workers and the people of Barbados a prosperous and peaceful 2019.
