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No Pain No Gain: Barbados Economy On Life Support

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Dennis Clarke, General Secretary, NUPW
Pedro Shepherd, President of BUT

The tenor of public debate about where the government will cut 400 million has become interesting to follow in recent days. Can we pick up the conversation from before the general election when the platform cry by the government was that public sector workers will not be sent home?  A few months later, and as recent as today, we have had to listen to the head of two unions address the prospect of government slashing public sector jobs.

First up this week we listened to an incoherent position from Dennis Clarke of the NUPW. He suggested that public workers have not enjoyed a pay increase in recent times, and with trending inflation, public sector workers have suffered a reduction in spending power.  He went on to suggest the NUPW will not support any initiative to cut public sector workers. He acknowledged that although the government is having a cashflow problem, one option available to avoid sending home workers, is to dismantle at least one statutory board which he did not reveal. Perhaps Dennis Clarke, the head of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW), is privy to the content of a report which the government commissioned with the brief to rationalize statutory corporations. Does Clarke understand that rationalization through mergers of government agencies must of necessity displace jobs?

Today on the news Pedro Shepherd, head of the Barbados Union Teachers (BUT), appeared to have taken a defensive position by suggesting that the teaching service will be the last sector to be touched by a cash strapped government. How the hell does he know what the government will do?

It is a moot point to debate whether any right thinking Barbadian would want to see people sent to the breadline. However, there is a reality of now which cannot be ignored. The government has been borrowing to pay salaries which is an unsustainable position. If the government is committed to maintain staff levels, what are the options?

The reality of now is that we have a burgeoning current account deficit which has also eroded the external position. In a simple descriptive, the economic is on life support and immediate interventionist measures must be taken NOW.

No pain no gain.

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129 responses to “No Pain No Gain: Barbados Economy On Life Support”

  1. PLANTATION DEEDS FROM 1926-2013 AND SEE MASSIVE FRAUD ,LAND TAX BILLS AND NO DEEDS Avatar
    PLANTATION DEEDS FROM 1926-2013 AND SEE MASSIVE FRAUD ,LAND TAX BILLS AND NO DEEDS

    Well Well @ They lies about CLICO , they lied about the Land , they lies registry , they lies about Barbados History, replace with White book writers lies, Uncle TOM and Niggas went for it. The bait got them all , The Fraud they pulled over the years with the Ministers are dead in the water and on the land , The crook doctor will not call time of DEATH.
    MOST TRAP in their brains can not , would not , may never want to believe Our words, This is Why posting is great on BU and others ,
    We can go back and see who is looking to tell the true and who just want to BLOG.
    Once we tell the truth , then we can move on to fix , no shame just let us get to work with a better standing ,
    We are the ones to fix this , Nothing dont belong to them ,We are the deed holders and the Family that made the history for Barbados in these time,
    William Skinner will also have to show his papers for the lies the National Trust have printed ,
    Bajan need to hold on to there money and We ready we will move to make them feel batter about coming back home to live ,
    They say the need overseas money , They are many Bajans with money in the STATES that will be happy to live back home after slaving in American all the years,
    Our own People getting what they pay for will come home and spend , We will not need all the lawyers looking to suck dry any one,
    20,000 lots and all trades men will have work , fixing , repair, of all things ,We need not look for their old Master for all work and business , his time done, to hell with him COW and his water dam,if needed some one else can do it , Call it Doctor , DOA 12:30AM JULY 4TH 2013

  2. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    .
    Bush Tea | July 3, 2013 at 9:10 AM |

    Baffy
    What lock what horns what?…. Miller could test a bushman…? Shoite man that would be like chile abuse…..
    ***********************************

    Great alliance BU…..LOCKED out fa 3 days

    Miller why do you ever bother to niggle with Mr. Outback? Man his level of reasoning is suited only for the sashquashed…. BubblesBearinEmc2…Oh loss….Come on wingman, I give you more credit than dat?
    child abuse?….LOL

  3. old onion bags Avatar
    old onion bags

    … you are dealing with conoid fragments of imaginations….CFOM.. and that’s a.howzat !…fa sure….Dolphins a-plenty pun Shoal bank…..you hookin them bare hook…I gine and get lil shut eye…

    Q.E.D

  4. lol10 Avatar
    lol10

    Is it me or doesn’t it appear that OSA was being truthful with us at election time while the DLP was telling lots of lies?

  5. lol10 Avatar
    lol10

    Walter Maloney (NUPW), Pedro Shepherd and Karen Best (BUT) and Frank Alleyne are responsible,for alot of propaganda and lies. No wonder Unions are dying in Barbados. OSA calls it professional contamination!

  6. The Dummy @ Dumo Avatar
    The Dummy @ Dumo

    Lol10

    Is it me or does it appear the BLP lost and the DLP won?

  7. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    Yeah…….they won a trip to the IMF, the PM will soon be able to call the IMF members Jeremiah.

  8. David Avatar
    David

    Prime Minister Stuart delivered a very able address at the Head meeting. If only we can connect words with action…

  9. David Avatar
    David

    Why is PizzaMan Doc closing four outlet BUT Chefette continues to populate. Is it is poor management on the part of Brome or changing taste in the respective segments?

  10. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Observer | July 3, 2013 at 12:22 PM |
    “I also do not recall the government saying it would not lay off public officers. I recall them stating it as an achievement to date.”

    Who is right here, Observer?

    You or the NUPW GS Dennis Clarke when he asserted that the PM gave the union the assurance that there will NO Layoffs or job losses in the public sector?
    This is what he claimed today in a VOB interview.

    Are calling Mr. Clarke a liar?

  11. Yagga Rowe Avatar
    Yagga Rowe

    lol10 | July 4, 2013 at 8:10 AM |
    Is it me or doesn’t it appear that OSA was being truthful with us at election time while the DLP was telling lots of lies?
    ————-
    were and will be always
    strangers to the truth
    DLP/Stuart
    Will not layoff
    Will not privatize
    Will be transparent
    will reduce cost of living

    hah !
    butchers
    liars
    abusers
    sackclothers
    tourism is the way
    exports down
    manufacturing hurt
    DLP-shame

  12. peltdownman Avatar
    peltdownman

    David re: Pizza Man Doc
    I think that it has a lot to do with the condition of the repective premises. Chefette out lets are really bright, kept clean, and people feel safe taking the kids there. No dispespect to PMD, but his outlets don’t offer the same ambience, and let’s face it, they are mainly take-out. There’s a big difference between take-out and having a meal out.

  13. The Dummy @ Dumo Avatar
    The Dummy @ Dumo

    Peltdown

    Let get to the point. PMD outlets are dumps and have not been renovated for 15 or 20 years. In addition the pizza is crap, the staff are not properly trained and customer service is not existant to down right poor.

  14. David Avatar
    David

    Another Black business bits the dust?

  15. BAFBFP Avatar
    BAFBFP

    Doc is a Riche (Barbados Pizza House) protege .. and a very nice, genuine man. Riche, an expat was equally nice and genuine. They both now will have similar fates. Business is no place for nice genuine people …!

  16. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ David | July 5, 2013 at 2:54 PM |

    This is really heartrending especially for those poor private sector employees of PMD. Maybe it was shortsightedness on PMD’s part not to diversify the fare to include other thing more palatable or attractive to young Bajans like chicken and fries or even vegetarian dishes. Maybe the surroundings and general ambience was a big turn off.

    There was PMD very much in need of advice and guidance in the area of business acumen while the management guru Bush Tea and the black empowerment racist called Carson Cadogan stood idly by with their mouth running like a real “S N” backside while another black business bites the dust.

    One wonders whom they are going to blame for this growing state of affairs.
    The Trinidadians or the BLP or even the international recession which has witnessed the continuing growth and expansion of Chefette?

    It would be interesting to see if the local Indian community will be taking over the outlets and make a success of the business in whatever form. Maybe the sale of halal chicken might just do the profitable trick. What about the Chinese opening up a chain of small restaurants?
    Even Leroy Greenverbs can try his hand at it catering strictly to the BIPA members and other policyholders.

  17. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    The current administration and their insipid yardfowls will put all the blame on Jeremiah.

  18. Alvin Cummins Avatar
    Alvin Cummins

    @Well Well
    Home agaain. What sabout you. Havae to take Hal to task again. Have to take Adrian to task agaain, for up to now he has not answered my challenge to give us his own solutions to the tourism problem. Still ntohing concrete. what were hes contributions to the economic consultancy? did not hear anything.

  19. Prodigal Son Avatar
    Prodigal Son

    Caswell,

    You have been vindicated. After the two prostitutes from the NUPW called you out denying that they knew anything of the details of the meeting of which you said that a decision as made to send home people and the Stinkliar we have for a MOF called you a street character…………………..I could not believe my ears when Dennis Clarke said in an interview with Starcom today that they knew from a meeting in MAY about the situation this government finds itself in and that layoffs would have to take place. His admission comes in JULY. What fraud!

    I wonder how he is going to stop the layoffs? The government they support will cut them and they would not know what hit them. Remember how the head prostitute Walter Maloney during the election campaign played he criticising Dale Marshall. Well Walter, deal with the TRUTH now!

  20. PLANTATION DEEDS FROM 1926-2013 AND SEE MASSIVE FRAUD ,LAND TAX BILLS AND NO DEEDS Avatar
    PLANTATION DEEDS FROM 1926-2013 AND SEE MASSIVE FRAUD ,LAND TAX BILLS AND NO DEEDS

    David | July 5, 2013 at 9:49 AM |

    Why is PizzaMan Doc closing four outlet BUT Chefette continues to populate. Is it is poor management on the part of Brome or changing taste in the respective segments?
    David@ PizzaMan Doc is a crook , We Spoke with them .They know they dont own nothing nor bought nothing and refuse to pay the little rent we ask , Jordan supermarket also and others , Is not seeing the crooks in high places moving and we moving to take what belong to Us.
    Ask Pizza Man Doc for a deed or who is his fraud land lord.

  21. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    Hey Alvin………….glad to hear you are safe and doing well, still in the EU with limited free time, hopefully I will not have to spend months here, hopefully……….heard Toronto had some water yesterday.

    Alvin………You may not get many answers cause the whirlwind is taking effect.

  22. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ David:

    Do you know if there is going to be a sitting of the House this coming Tuesday?
    With the Minister of Culture off to Macao or the Indian Film Festival there is every possibility that the coming Tuesday sitting might just be cancelled continuing this parody of engineered laziness and dereliction of the people’s business while at the same time lambasting the public sector workers for their abjectly poor productivity and unjustified horrendously regular absence from work.

    Even if he off to Macau we hope he justifies this jaunt by recommending to the Cabinet that Bim follows the Macao model and mix tourism with some casino gambling since there is very little left for the ‘rich’ visitors to do after the beach and the golf course.

    One notices a recent trend of the various ministers and their politically controlled lackeys in the Senate berating the lowly public sector workers (especially those with their ardently practiced and fanatically expressed on-the-job Christian faith) for their ineptitude, laziness and very poor productivity.

    Are the public sector workers the new whipping boy in the stable of scapegoats for this administration’s incompetence and lack of ideas and political will to do the necessary things in a timely manner required to save this country from itself?
    Are those worker being prepared or set up as sacrificial lambs for the widespread retrenchment that is about to take lace in that workforce?

    Is this the same premier model of a civil service so praised by the PM just a few months ago as to be deemed the best service in the region if not in the world?

  23. millertheanunnaki Avatar
    millertheanunnaki

    @ Alvin Cummins | July 5, 2013 at 8:18 PM |

    Welcome back Alvin to the heat of the battle!
    Thought you had run away because of the recent revelations on the already known state of the economy and legal attempts to seal the findings of a more in-depth forensic audit paid for out of the policyholders’ premiums.

    Do you, with your inside “scoop-ability”, know if the report contains State secrets that if revealed to the policyholders would jeopardize the security of Barbados and cause the downfall of the DLP?

    Forget about getting any solutions from Adrian and Hal to deal with the problems in tourism or the economy generally. Assume they have none given the longtime they have not responded to your demands.
    Let us here how you would deal with that $400 million cut back in expenditure which must be achieved before the end of the current fiscal year.

    Any solutions/proposals/ideas for achieving this “challenging” task, Alvin?

  24. ac Avatar
    ac

    Sigh! the govt has already identify a real source of its problem is the high import food bill this is an area where all barbadians can heed the call if seriously wanting to dig the country out of this finaancial long term by buying locallly. another headache is the high energy cost generated by high fuel cost .in these two areas the govts have implemented measures which would benefit the country long term. in the meanwhile “clamity jane ” mia has said nothing on how to tackle these two gorillaphants

  25. Prodigal Son Avatar
    Prodigal Son

    Is this government tone deaf or just plain ignorant?

    The PM just last week said that the country is in deep do do, needs to cut 400 million dollars like last year……………and now today they flying a kite saying that they cannot reveal too much but that they are buying Almond Beach Village. Well, well.

    Talk about trying to change the conversation. Now why would this incompetent, inept government now want to buy ABV which is now only a shell, the Trinidadians haven sold off everything.

    But wait, where the hell this government would get money to buy Almond from? Would it have made more sense to let Doyle from Crane Beach get it so that he would have to bring in the much needed foreign exchange to buy it?

    But wait what is the latest with Four Seasons. The impression one got while listening to Stinkliar in the Estimates, one would have come to the conclusion that all like now, workmen cant done would be at the site. But why would any one believe a word coming out of Stinkliar’s mouth?

    Lord have mercy, the Dems won as the Dummy reminded us!

  26. Well Well. Avatar
    Well Well.

    Again……….why would the DLP keep imploring bajans to buy local and then rapidly turn around and bring in a foreign supermarket supplying the same with huge concessions to sell bajans mostly foreign food? The education system on the island needs to be revamped asap cause clearly it is not working.

  27. Adrian Loveridge Avatar
    Adrian Loveridge

    Prodigal Son,

    I am confused, way back on January 30, 2013 the PM announced that Cabinet had agreed (note the word AGREED) to BUY BACK Almond Beach Village for $110 million. Why is it being announced again that Government are buying it back?

  28. Pieceuhderockyeahright!!! Avatar
    Pieceuhderockyeahright!!!

    Dear Plantation Deeds

    I note that PMD might be placing his business shortcomings, competency and lack of capacity squarely at the feet of the DLP.

    Not sure what you are hinting about Jordan.

    Here is a thought though, we are very quick (sometimes rightfully so) to reveal the incompetencies of our black brothers in business.

    Pause for a while and ponder this.

    15 outlets in Barbados each one more lavish than the last, particularly at a point in Barbados’ trials and travails, when you can run a rat through KFC in their Broad Street outlets.

    15 outlets in a country where the Chief Money Laundering Unit cannot tell the difference between a counterfeit Sir Grantley and a Bengamin Franklyn.

    Is there a relationship between Pizza Man Doc closing, in what he claims are times of deep economic woes, and Fumble’s expanding mismanagement, and another firm expanding, 15 times/

    Which idjit is running that Financial Mismanagement Unit again? No not the one on Bay Street, the other one?

  29. PLANTATION DEEDS FROM 1926-2013 AND SEE MASSIVE FRAUD ,LAND TAX BILLS AND NO DEEDS Avatar
    PLANTATION DEEDS FROM 1926-2013 AND SEE MASSIVE FRAUD ,LAND TAX BILLS AND NO DEEDS

    Pieceuhderockyeahright!!! @ Jordan is on the land,and refuse to pay rent he said unless Kensington pays first,when they pay us for Kensington he will pay us our money so therefore since he doesn’t have no overhead his prices should be cheaper for the people.

    As for PMD he had no standard to begin with ,he calling that pizza but it’s not pizza and he a crook,he shutting down cause he know it’s time to get off the land and we coming for them All.
    Baxter Road is on Notice , All them even YOUNG supermarket and the rest of them ,

    None have a deed , we have the deed for Kensington of 73 Acres Plantation , NO one , none cant even bring a fake deed for it ,
    Plenty will change and for the better , Just remember how things are now and how it will be after .
    Deed reads two side of Baxters Road, tudor street,broad street, just to name a few of the main streets on our deed,

    We welcome any deed holder or so call book writers, National Trust ,
    When you Ready We Done.
    Ask a Question get an answer, Freedom of Information Right here.

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