A surge in voter participation has marked today’s National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) elections, with general secretary Richard Green reporting a turnout higher than last year’s and momentum building across polling stations islandwide.
While it is not yet clear whether the turnout will break records, Green said the pace of voting had been “steady and moderate,” with several departments showing marked increases in participation. The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in particular, has seen its voter numbers triple compared to the previous election.
“You can see that there has been steady voting through all the different polling stations. There are some departments which have shown a significant increase in voter turnout, which we are happy to see,” he said.
At the centre of this year’s contest is incumbent Kimberley Agard, who is defending her presidency against two contenders – Anne-Marie Burke-Brewster of the Ministry of Health and Natalie Walthrust Jones from the Barbados Community College – in what is shaping up to be one of the union’s more competitive elections in recent years.
Voting officially ended at most locations by 4 p.m., with the northernmost ballot scheduled to close at 5 p.m. The union’s headquarters remain open until 6 p.m. to receive the final boxes. Counting is expected to begin between 6:30 and 7 p.m.
Green attributed the increased interest to both the larger number of contested positions this year and growing concern among members about unresolved workplace issues.
“We would advise the candidates to engage the members on the staff allocation issues, the reform in the public service, the different transitions, and the malcommunications that have been happening,” he said. “We want the candidates to speak to people, put their positions forward, and also bring feedback to us so that we can address their immediate concerns.” (CLM)
