One of the more telling comments during the post-mortem of the 2013 General Election in Barbados came from the campaign manager of the victorious Democratic Labour Party (DLP), Robert “Bobby” Morris, who claimed that he was not surprised by the DLP victory, since a key sign of defeat of an incumbent party is the existence of an atmosphere of tension with trade unions ballooning into a general anti-government mass movement.
Whilst there had been definite signs of economic decline between 2008 and 2013, any direct impact on labour had been deliberately postponed. Allied with the propagandist division of the electoral debate along artificial lines of privatization versus nationalzation, the unions did not feel sufficiently concerned to oppose the existing order. Though things were bad, the election was fought on the expectation that Government would “look after the interests” of workers, while the “other side” could not be trusted to do likewise. The unions agreed.
The dilemma for the Government today is that the economic conditions have worsened to such an extent that its hinted promise to the labour movement had to be hastily abandoned. Indeed, so desperate is the situation that not only has the “party for labour” image been abandoned, but so have all the expected practices attending the laying off of workers to which the union movement had become accustomed. The consensus with the unions has collapsed.
Thus, for the first time since its election in January 2008, the objective conditions for a change of government which Morris had so accurately described, have now arrived in Barbados. Ten months into a second term, while the timing may be good for the DLP, only time will determine for Barbados in general.
Prior to this moment, both unions and the Government could legitimately maintain their pro-worker claims. Indeed, closely coordinated anti-middle class statements from both union and party were consistent with that objective. With the arrival of lay-offs, however, clear anti-union statements are now being heard from Government.
The first week of 2014 therefore witnessed the rapid repair of earlier breaches in the labour movement which, until recently, had been characterized by vacillation, internal splits and ideological disunity. The objective conditions appear to be transforming the labour movement from a class “in itself” to a class “for itself”.
Whilst joblessness is the supreme concern of workers, devaluation is the biggest fear of the private sector, since the value of their wealth can be reduced significantly overnight. It is left to be seen whether this general concern of the business class will result in their identification with the labour movement, resulting in a genuine mass movement, with a singular purpose. Coming events will show.
Whatever the outcome, it is clear that 2014 has signalled the singularity of interests among the Barbadian working class, in a manner not seen since the mid-1990s.
• Tennyson Joseph is a political scientist at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, specializing in regional affairs. Email tjoe2008@live.com.