For eight years the country has been gripped in an economic recession – negligible growth notwithstanding in a quarter here and there – although it feels like a lifetime, an unaccustomed position for thousands of Barbadian if we count from the last major economic crisis of the early 90s. Clearly Barbadians- judging by how we have responded (not responded) to the economic challenge- must legitimately question our leadership and management abilities as a nation. We have reached the point instead of leading the region, an accustomed position since Independence, we have retreated to comparing our current state with the base of the base in the region. The boast that Barbados is a model Black country boxing above it weight class has become an idle one.
With less than a year to go until the next general election bell is rung AND weeks after the minister of finance Chris Sinckler delivered a ‘budget’ he promised will create a surplus on current account by reducing the deficit by 567 million dollars in the current financial year –the country’s major trade unions have decided that now is the time to pressure the government to modify the rate it has applied with the implementation of the contentious National Social Responsibility Levy (NSRL) from 10% to 5%. BU SUSPECTS the NSRL issue is a ruse by the BWU, NUPW, BSTU and BUT to give impetus to a bigger objective, that is, to force a change in government. Such naked affiliation by the major trade unions to the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) Opposition does a disservice to the movement. This will be a blog for another day.
If a student does not study well in the school year, cramming one week before promotionals will not make a difference. Using the same analogy -how will it be possible to reduce the deficit by 567 million dollars in less than a year before the next general elections IF the government has been unable to implement policies to achieve same in the last eight years? What is magical about this year?
To the apolitical Barbadian it is evident the economic model that has served Barbados for the last 40 years has run its course. The tourism goose is laying eggs, however, not in the same quantity or quality. An ageing population, unsustainable cost of social services, a burgeoning middlecalss manufactured on rising household debt, means that it is all beginning to collapse because we have not been able to match production with spend. As important is that as a people we have to adopt the right behaviours to collectively guide the country in the direction that will reasonably sustain ALL. What should these behaviours be?
It is laughable that trade unions are calling for a wage hike for employees in the public service and the wage bill by the same sector by any measure has been identified as the reason for the worrying state of government finances and has resulted in the printing of money. The end result is that domestic debt to GDP is ranked at one of the highest in the world. BU cannot ignore the fact that there continues to be haemorrhaging in government’s finances outlined in every Auditor General’s report since 2007 to the present. BU’s comment should not be taken as an attack on public sector workers. If we are honest we should be able to agree that the public service has become a place that the political class has padded to satisfy narrow interest.
What is playing out in Barbados gives currency to the Orwellian view that all the tenets we should adopt to protect our fragile democracy we seem happy to jettison in favour of alternative facts, incompetence and corruption from the entrenched political class and the partisan political minions. The foregoing made all the more ironic if we continue to boast of being a highly educated nation. The national budget allocation to education supports it.
The trade unions will again impose a go slow on a nation and what will be achieved? There will be enough workers who feel intimidated to ensure the public service remains somewhat productive and the country will limp along. This is where we are a country limping along.
245 responses to “A Country In Limp Mode”
We have been living above our means for a long time and the day of reckoning has come. Taxes and layoffs cannot be avoided. There are three main tasks at hand:
1. Grow the foreign exchange earning sectors of the economy.
2. Help the most vulnerable among us.
3. Reform our system of governance so we don’t repeat our mistakes.
Means to an unexpected end of forcing elections is welcomed.
@Vincent
Are yo sure that you s how a democracy is meant to work? Isn’t the lazy way out?
David
The unions are the voice of the people which is what democracy is about.
I agree with Owens assessment about the unions actions 100 percent.
Was democracy not at work when Leroy Trotman of BWU fame led a united march against the then Sandiford administration?
Where is the proof to substantiate the comment re: “Such naked affiliation by the major trade unions to the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) Opposition does a disservice to the movement,” and why is it people are now assuming there is such an association?
However, when Denis Clarke, Derek Alleyne and Walter Maloney of NUPW, as well as Leroy Trotman and the hierarchy of the BWU and BUT were members of the DLP, some of whom were Cabinet ministers, these same individuals conveniently refused to express similar concerns.
Although people have a right to freedom of association, until there is separation between unions and political parties, situations similar to what occurred when Clarke and Maloney were at the helm of the NUPW and arbitrarily made decisions in favour of government without ratification from the union’s members will continue.
@ Kevin
You DLP yard fowls never cease to amaze me.
It seems as though you have conveniently forgotten that during his same comments, Arthur also made an assessment of the inept DLP administration.
So….. do you “ALSO AGREE with Owen’s assessment (of) the DLP’s actions 100 percent” as well?
@Artax
BU stand behind the statement. This is not a court of law where evidence has to be produced. Just observing and listening to union people who participated in the BLP march was enough to convince members of the BU household who were embedded in the crowd.
When we have a MOF SINKLER, because the island is sinking, who really does not understand how the financial system of a country should work,…the result is chaos as is evidenced after this lasts”budget”. Imagine all the changes that have been made..the Drug service has paid the tax and now they have removed it! He did not write it and there was no consultation beforehand. This is the most inept, incompetent and unprofessional government this island has ever elected. We have gone backwards in nearly everything. Sad, but true. God help Barbados if this gang is re-elected to ruin this country for another five years. We need to pray.
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo.php?basin=atlc&fdays=5
The hierarchy and members of political parties would advance the argument that a Minister of Finance does not necessarily have to be an economist or be au fait with economic theory.
Within the Ministry of Finance & Economic Affairs there is a Permanent Secretary, a Parliamentary Secretary (“Jester” Ince), the Director of Finance & Economic Affairs and the Debt Strategy Analyst.
The Budget Unit: Deputy Permanent Secretary, Chief Budget Analyst and Budget Analyst.
The Research Unit comprises of a Director of Research, Chief Economist, Senior Economists (3), and Economists (4).
And there is the Economic Advisory Committee and the Central Bank of Barbados.
These “technocrats” are there to SUPPORT and offer the MoF expert advice.
If the MoF “really does not understand how the financial system of a country should work,” then what does this say about these “technocrats,” especially under circumstances where:
…….. government’s economic policies have continually failed to achieve the desired objectives;
…….. after being announced, implementation of various policies has continued to be problematic;
…….. more often than not, there isn’t any clear understanding of some policies;
…….. there has been a lack of confidence in government’s economic policies;
…….. the island has experienced approximately 20 credit rating downgrades;
…….. foreign reserves continue to “dwindle;”
…….. the economy continues to under perform;
…….. lack of investor confidence;
Limping??
Man we ain’t limping, we on we hands and knees crawling through bare sheet; with dark clouds on the horizon and no end in sight. Ten long years of sufferation, palpitations and hours of lamentations, and all we get is a choice between six and half dozen? Somebody put we suh?
What percentage of the Barbados working population are members of recognised trade unions? What percentage of the 30000 public sector workers are members sof recognised trade unions?
This was posted yesterday on another site but its more applicable to this one.
Stop waiting for calls Unions and act as was advised on Brasstacks today…..the basis of the action is pure and simple…..no confidence in the govts ability……shutdown the ports untill parliament is dissolved and an election date is called.
The Budget as presented is a non-starter according to the Gurus as well as the MoF who stated that in October after the reviews come in they will amend the budget.
This govt appears to be playing for political time and allowing the country to slip in the meantime.
Presently the Unions actions are falling in with the govts plan.
NUPW 10,000
Thanks, David.
David
Wider agenda or not, is the objective legitimate?
@Raw Bake
Its the CURSE, due to the ugliness in every form of the DLP body , led by the ugliest somebody, put we suh
And so we get to the major issue.
The gov’t has to change. They do not have a clue what they are doing and never did. They have ignored all patriotic advice regarding economic and development planning for the past 9 years and chased away most foreign and local investment with bribery solicitation and lack of facilitation. We might have been able to survive one of those effects, not all three.
If the trade unions marched for early elections most of the rest of Bim would march with them.
But there is discord within the membership in that regard, most of the members are who voted for Fumble’s Fools in the last 2 elections under the illusion that their jobs would be saved and (lack of ) civil service work ethic, accountability and productivity maintained.
So the unions are treading the political fine line. Rollback on a tax that Fumble’s Fools can’t rollback while facilitating their lifestyle is impossible. They invited advice from practical economic experts then ignored it. Now they would like to drag out any possibility of real progress by inviting talks again. Morons.
And now the idiot Fumble says he’s going to ‘take charge’ of these union upstarts? Retard couldn’t take charge of a small yard of loyal yardfowls.
One thing is for sure, GEL and Charles Herbert have nothing to lose and everything to gain by backing the unions, same as the rest of the private sector except for the lackie Abed.
It is long past time for something to happen.
Good luck with that thinking Frustrated B.
If we were worth anything more than what Paddy shot at, the unions would have marched when the 60 year-olds were sent home from BIDC …or wherever…
They would have marched when, subsequently, The DLP attempted to EXTEND the term of the DPP…
The would have marched when the Tribunal turned out to be another of Hal Gollop’s shiite schemes…
The Unions are just like the political parties… only different.
A bunch if horse shit coming from the mouths of foot soldiers with pkenty time on their hands most of them retired and living off their pensions most of them not giving or caring one rats a ss about barbados but like crabs in a barrell ready and able to destroy what is left of barbados economic foundations
The IMF in its last statement said barbados was on the road to recovery but soldiers that is not enough and have advanced there sinster motives to remain steadfast with ulterior actions to harm and destroy barbados weakend economic foundations.However the question which most thinking barbadians are asking after the chaos and upheavel then what next
We have examples of countries that have used covert actions to require change but the end results has been years of turmoil and predicatable high level of violence which has done more harm than good in requiring change
@enuff
A little wary when the perception grows that the unions have nakedly aligned with political parties. It is one thing for agendas to organically collide it is another when union leaders are brazenly fraternizing with the politicos.
I hope that the unions have properly gamed this out – all the moves and counter-moves. If they are forced to back down they will do themselves serious, and possibly irreparable, harm.
It will be interesting to see if the private sector backs the national shutdown if it ever occurs. So far Charles Herbert’s has been a voice of reason. When the private sector withdraws it’s support the dog dead. One remembers the capital flight that occurred under Sandiford in the 90s.
There are only 9 months to go before the clowns are thrown out. Is this head on collision really worth it?
“A bunch if horse shit coming from the mouths of foot soldiers with plenty time on their hands most of them retired and living off their pensions……”
Could anyone imagine the above comments were written by a yard-fowl who is among the most frequent contributors to BU?
@ Artax
Could anyone imagine the above comments were written by a yard-fowl who is among the most frequent contributors to BU?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Yes!
A carpenter thinks that everyone has a hammer.
Old Baje July 17, 2017 at 9:17 AM #
There are only 9 months to go before the clowns are thrown out. Is this head on collision really worth it?
Yes.
The NSRL increase will put people on the breadline and companies out of business as soon as the Kadooment spend is done.
Time is of the essence we cannot allow this non-budget to continue for 9 months and drive us further into the deep doodoo we are in.
When the top BWU echelons were ensconced in the cabinet of the DLP under Sandi,that was fine and when the NUPW under the previous admin refused to deal with BIDC or NCC as Bushie has reminded us….that was fine also.
The collective of unions must be unambigous and call a spade a spade……i.e……Mr PM we no longer have confidence in your ability to bring this country out of the economic mess its in kindly call elections,let the people speak…….case closed.
Every one knows that public sector lay offs are inevitable and thats where a sensible govt and union will sit down and re-organise the system after elections,whoever wins……we live in hope.
The industrial climate is about to get warm. Public Sector employees have been directed to go on a go slow read work to rule by the BWU, NUPW, BUT and BSTU.
It is good that minister Stephen Lashley clarified that he was part of a BMW promotion. Others on social media tagged the minister with purchasing a BMW.
David
Any action by the trades union will be seen as political, and they have right to be political. The decision to appoint and retain Walter Maloney in a position reserved for a union representative is a clear indication by the government that they are being political. The union can’t fight what is really a political battle with civility.
David July 17, 2017 at 12:36 PM #
The industrial climate is about to get warm. Public Sector employees have been directed to go on a go slow read work to rule by the BWU, NUPW, BUT and BSTU.
Public Sector workers cannot go any slower and they could never work to rule. The effect of the so-called industrial action will therefore be felt by no-one inside our outside the civil service.
We need to close all public and private sector doors and march for immediate elections.
Nothing short will be of any effect and everyone will immediately understand who is supporting who.
David&Enuff
Spot on Enuff.
David,let the games begin…..one only hope that they have full game plan……so far Herbert has not disagreed.
Charles Herbert is a member of the BLP
@enuff
Have no problem with the union being poltical in strategy but the fight must be crafted to position workers at the centre. This brazen fraternizing with poltical activities and wearing red etc is not smart. Should Mary Redman have said no toto Mia lifting her bad foot and all?
@FB
One gets the impression they are cranking using kodooment and Carifesta as bargaining chips.
Chaucer. You are acting in a hypocritical way. Even if Mr. Herbert is a BEE, DEE or any so call EE, He will still have to discuss it with his association for ramification. We have to stop stigmatising people if you have to call a spade a spade. Instead you should be assisting in the getting the Unions, Businessmen and Government to sit down and have a meaningful dialogue to free up the economy.
There are many unfortunate truths in this article. And a few misnomers.
This bellyaching about “continued economic recession” is one. Bim is a one-trick-pony, tourism. Sugar and its by-products are gone. The rum industry imports molasses. Both tourism and Offshore face increasing competition, but the international spend is back on, we are just fighting for our piece of the pie.
What is the public sector union issue? That to balance the books, and curtail the skyrocketing debt levels, this GoB should have cut wages or sent home large numbers? Do these unions not know the recommendations made by the private sector would see their membership catspraddled? A lot of posing by all sides.
NorthernObserver July 17, 2017 at 1:28 PM #
What is the public sector union issue? That to balance the books, and curtail the skyrocketing debt levels, this GoB should have cut wages or sent home large numbers? Do these unions not know the recommendations made by the private sector would see their membership catspraddled?
That is not the case.
Barbados needs only three things to recover quickly:
Reduced taxation to free up consumer spending and resultant tax income.
Increased civil service facilitation to increase economic activity and new projects to generate economic activity and resultant tax income.
Shedding of statutory corporations to decrease gov’t expenses through privatisation in which current employees would be able to participate.
There is no mystery and hasn’t been for a decade. We are in this position because the DLP gov’t ministers are stupid, deaf and ignorant. They have ignored all advice and every helping hand that has been extended except for those of the bribe-payers.
There will be no economic recovery under Fumble’s Fools.
@ Artax July 17, 2017 at 12:52 AM #
“……………These “technocrats” are there to SUPPORT and offer the MoF expert advice.
If the MoF “really does not understand how the financial system of a country should work,” then what does this say about these “technocrats,” especially under circumstances where:”
……………………………
Artax,
It could be that he does not listen to any of these 14 persons.
Just saying!
CHAUCER July 17, 2017 at 1:00 PM #
Charles Herbert is a member of the BLP
That is a lie.
And an indication that you political creatures who depend on party handouts to survive really have no idea how this country works.
Business people don’t join political parties, not even Kyfin.
Politicians come to us to keep their livelihood by hook or by crook, we don’t go to them. Either before elections when they are begging for favours or after elections when they are offering to do favours in exchange for special consideration.
Politicians don’t run this country and never have. They are simply the link between private-sector investment, public sector facilitation and labour. When any of those links are broken the result is economic chaos as we have witnessed for the past 9 years.
Years ago GEL said that if they weren’t facilitated they would transition out of this economy. Since then they have sold their rum refinery and the Cockspur brand. Fumble’s Fools weren’t listening then but I bet they are listening out for Charles Herbert now.
There will be no economic recovery under Fumble’s Fools.
I had a neighbour who used to tell me that the only way the BLP would win an election is when they broke whatever bonded the unions and the DLP………..and that was back in the Sandi era.
During that time, the dems had Evelyn Greaves as a minister, Bobby Morris and Leroy Trotman as back benchers. That was on the BWU side. We should not forget Frank Walcott’s role in DLP politics……huge.
On the NUPW side you had Joe Goddard with Dennis Clarke, Walter Maloney and Derek Alleyne in the back.
On the Teachers unions’ side you had Ronald Jones, Undine Whittaker and Karen Best.
Back to my neighbour’s often statement………..it was only in 1994 when the union MP’s broke ranks that the government spluttered and fell.
So we cannot pretend that the unions have not always had the DLP’s back!
Frustrated Businessman: enact Facilitation Martial Law! July 17, 2017 at 2:18 PM
Are you suggesting that no IMF assist is required to facilitate the reconciliation of our debt burden?
Lol….Carson gave the blog a respite, from his idiocy.
WW&C
Good point the blogmaster better look for the operatives under his bed as this is most unusual for them to be quite on so many post……possibly the powers that be told them to keep quite as something is about to happen…..who knows as the next couple of days between the unions and the impending storm we are in for a roof ride.
@CHAUCER July 17, 2017 at 1:00 PM #
“Charles Herbert is a member of the BLP”
You are completely mistaken!
@ David July 17, 2017 at 12:39 PM
“It is good that minister Stephen Lashley clarified that he was part of a BMW promotion. Others on social media tagged the minister with purchasing a BMW.”
Isn’t this the height or arrant stupidity on the part of a Minister of the Crown?
Why is he “promoting” a particular vehicle even if the dealer is a major sponsor? Why not one of the PR officials at the executing statutory agency of his ministry?
The exigencies of a real democracy operating within the Westminster system of impartial governance would require an immediate apology from the same minister or his dismissal from the broken-down Cabinet.
No wonder these Westminster choir boys are seen in international circles as a bunch of political monkeys dressed up in dark suits pretending to conduct business in a fast ripening banana republic.
Imagine junk-status Barbados- going through such rough economic times and on the brink of a massive devaluation because of fast disappearing forex reserves- can have a Cabinet displaying such a show of rapidly unaffordable conspicuous consumption, NSRL (National Starvation & Ruination Levy) not withstanding!
@ Vincent Haynes July 17, 2017 at 4:03 PM
“Frustrated Businessman: enact Facilitation Martial Law! July 17, 2017 at 2:18 PM
Are you suggesting that no IMF assist is required to facilitate the reconciliation of our debt burden?”
Barbados has definitely run out of options and is barely surviving financially on borrowed time before the banker of last resort takes up residence in some posh office in the Ministry of Finance.
The last budget was just the preparation of the wicket for the IMF to play on. That ‘draconian’ budget was one of the major preconditions before a standby financing arrangement (balance of payments support) can be concluded.
Let the apologist(s) for the MoF, namely Bernard Codrington, deny such!
@Miller
Wouldn’t rank it with the the decision by his namesake and Lowe to lease luxury vehicles from Brathwaite at Transtech but it does reveal a lack of emotional intelligence.
millertheanunnaki July 17, 2017 at 5:21 PM #
Its all political gamesmanship……this bunch are trying hard to win the next election to the detriment of the country and the people therein.
The sad part is that the MoF stated that a budget will come in October after some review has taken place,so the purpose of this impossible to obtain budget has to be what you suggested….optics for the IMF,as if they dont realise that.
Yes lets here Bernard….if available…..all the operatives appear to be at a meeting as we have not heard them for a while.