Now that Minister of Finance has spoken to confirm the Sinckler Plan to retrench 3,000 workers, we are left to ponder where do we go from here as a country. The DLP now has the unenviable reputation of having sent home public workers twice in the last 25 years. History will pay very close attention the price the DLP will have to pay.
The decision to send home workers has come as no surprise to BU. The government has shown an inability since taking up office to effectively manage the current account deficit. Instead of intelligently managing how it hires, encourage early retirement, pressuring department heads to adhere to budget plan numbers, avoid political interference in the hiring process (something both political parties have engaged) the DLP continued business as usual. There is a view gaining currency this is a government comprised of incompetents led by a prime minister who is uncomfortable in the role.
Whether the final number is 3,000, 4,000 or even 6,000 the Sinckler Plan to retrench will not solve our economic problem. As a nation we have to discover growth strategies. The government has to encourage our people to be more productive citizens. Our people must feel the vision emanating from the leadership of the country which will unleash their potential. The culture of mendicancy and entitlement which has taken root in Barbados has become a blocker for success. Our neighbours who have historically looked to Barbados for leadership and have held deep admiration for the way we have managed our country have become perplexed at our inability to manage the current crisis.
If BU were involved in the decision to cut public workers we would go about it in a different way. Here are two examples to illustrate. Indiscipline on our roads is a big problem. A culture has emerged where we park anywhere at any time. Let some of the displaced workers form a company or companies and assist them in purchasing 3 or 4 trucks. The trucks will be responsible for working 24 hours a day. Their main job will be to insert clamps on vehicles parked illegally. People will be employed and revenue generated, the result q win win and more respect for our laws.
In the build up to the last general election there was heated public debate about the need for government to privatize. Whether we agree or not there are opportunities for the government to get out of activities which it has no business. The roadside gangs we observe lounging across Barbados should be outsourced. There is no reason why the country cannot be divided into sectors and the NCC workers be given an opportunity to bid for the work under a private arrangement.
The time has come for change. The time has come for Barbadian workers to become more involved and empowered to move to the next level. Never let a good crisis go to waste they say. Ordinary Barbadians have a chance given the opportunity offered by this crisis to push their way to the table. These politicians who have been allowed to ignore the rights of citizens for years must appreciate that it will not be tolerated any longer.
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