Any ray of hope hope is to be embraced and applauded amid the uncertainty, flared tempers and mixed messages of union talks with Government as a result of the plan to send home 3 000 public sector workers between next Wednesday and March 1.
One such ray of hope emerged on the horizon off Carlisle Bay Tuesday at the end of a two-hour-and-45-minute meeting between the partnership of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) and Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), and the ministers of finance and labour.
All parties emerged from the meeting in a light-hearted mood, agreeing that the Government’s approach was “more conciliatory” than before and that all efforts were now in train to make sure the numbers of the layoffs could be fewer than 3 000.
It is now clear that after more than a month of NUPW talks – even before the December 13 Ministerial Statement announcing the job cuts – its partnership with the BWU last week has taken the negotiations to another level, thereby marking a clearer path in this matter.
The new “conciliatory approach” referred to by NUPW general secretary Dennis Clarke at the end of Tuesday’s meeting may well have been the result of its joint effort with the country’s strongest trade union and, more specifically, a strongly-worded letter from BWU general secretary Sir Roy Trotman to Sinckler.
The letter, dated January 6 and copied to the Prime Minister, rapped the minister for not providing “in good time” relevant information such as the reasons for the planned terminations, and the number and categories of workers.
It also noted that when the unions met with Sinckler on January 3, he “had only managed to convey that a figure of 3 000 persons would almost immediately be terminated”.
The letter reminded the minister that “the promised information required by Article 6.10(a) of the Social Partnership Protocol 6 had not been supplied even though your Government is a principal signatory as are the NUPW and the BWU”, and that Article 6.13 demanded that the minister inform in writing, at least two weeks before the statutory notice period, of the particulars referred to in Article 6.10.
Stressing that such matters must be addressed via consultation, the letter noted that the minister’s failure to officially respond to the NUPW’s proposals before January 6 was threatening the integrity of the social dialogue process and pushing the union into “an antagonistic posture”.
It should not have come to this, but if hope has sprung from such strong words from the BWU, then we may not have to look to January 15 with as much fear as has been evident.
It is therefore heartening to see leadership in this matter being shared between the social partners in a spirit of understanding and with one agenda: to save the economy with minimal suffering.
The importance of industrial harmony to this society cannot be overstated.
