The Act will require every person who is a ‘person in public life’ when the Act comes into force to make an initial disclosure to the Commission within three (3) months of the date of commencement of the Act. In the case of a person who becomes a ‘person in public life’ after the commencement of the Act, it will provide for the initial disclosure to be made within three (3) months of the date of his becoming a ‘person in public life’ – Extracted from a Speech delivered by the late David Thompson in January 8, 2008.
Even if a small number of marchers than expected turn up on Monday the government finds itself in a lose lose situation. The big picture that must remain painted in the minds of all Barbadians is the economy stupid. With less than a year to go before the next general election, it is unlikely even to the proverbial optimist this government will be able to infuse sufficient confidence in the marketplace to fuel a greater level of productivity. In summary, if the private sector through its executive fails to demonstrate that it has the support of workers on Monday it will retreat to other means, flight of capital is one example. A trip down memory lane to the period 1991 to 1993 is a reminder that a government that fails to enjoy the confidence of its private sector is doomed to fail.
On the other side of the equation is the Union in a fight some say it cannot afford to lose. With the private sector showing the Union support and about to execute the phalanx maneuver -the Barbados climate, not industrial, is about to become more elevated. How does one determine if the Union ‘loses’? Is it based on the hundreds, no thousands of man-hours wasted because of absenteeism, go slows, employees on the job who have disengaged, how about those who see no wrong in misusing government owned assets?
The right to demonstrate once done peacefully and the rule of law respected is the inalienable right of a citizen or group under the democratic system practiced in Barbados. The government operatives have pulled the race card which exposes a level of desperation and panic in the camp. Bear in mind this is a government whose political campaign was bankrolled by a White Bjerkham and company in 2007/2008, and to boot, rewarded him with a seat on the board of the Central Bank of Barbados.
The Stuart led government finds itself in an unenviable position in the political history of Barbados. It explains why the usually studied public utterances of Comrade Bobby Morris have of recent descended into a pit of defamatory bile. In the 90s the DLP Sandiford administration fell as a result of a public AND internal withdrawal of confidence in his government. Are we about to witness lightning striking twice on the same party? Are the political historians waiting with pen in hand to ink events as they are about to unfold that will include DLP déjà vu in the table of contents?
Part of the problem Barbados is experiencing is that the message of change promised to Barbados first by Thompson and then Stuart who won because the BLP got it wrong has not materialized. We have had more of the same from this DLP government with continuing rumours of corruption supported by Auditor General reports, ineffective Public Accounts Committee sessions, dissenting positions from within the bowels of Cabinet, questionable NIS management read Four Seasons and EMERA, defacing of the Central Bank’s reputation, Cahill etc, etc, etc. All of the forgoing has been compounded by a prime minister who refuses to use the power of speech to communicate to those he leads. It is at election time the sleeping giant feels emboldened to shout from Mount Olympus to the sheeple.
To the topical issue of march or not to march AND the motive of those who support the march. First a disclosure: Charles Herbert is known to the BU household and the attempt to smear a man who has lived his life so far to build a solid reputation in Barbados as a professional and citizen is to be regretted. It is a clear example why quality Barbadians resist getting involved in ‘giving back’ to society. He should have remained in his lucrative practice, make his millions and forget about the plebs. Members of the BU household have observed him sitting at town hall meetings quietly taking notes, asking questions when many of the BLACK yardfowls attacking his character today stayed at home watching TV or at Chefette purchasing takeaway dinner. One of the reasons the citizenry has to resort to disruptive methods to demonstrate against a government unwilling to listen is because our governance system is flawed. There is no avenue to recall the government in a structured and less disruptive manner, for example, support in the Constitution to cede the POWER to RECALL to the people.
At the root of our problem is the lack of integrity and transparency in public office.
311 responses to “The March to Déjà vu”
“21,000+”
For now, by Tuesday night, it will be 250,000.
Mark my words!!!!
“The Transport Board . . . we were buying transmissions at about $30 000. The consultant, through his initiatives, was able to bring a transmission out of Texas for $6 700 and they’re on the buses and they’re working,” said Lashley.”
What iniatives–honesty and research? No wonder people fed up!
@ Pachamama July 24, 2017 at 10:21 PM,
Sadly, your above comments to a naive and an excitable Bush Tea will go largely unnoticed. There is too much triumphalism in the air.
The large numbers of those who attended the march should be attributed to the marchers’ employers who, maybe, coerced their workers to attend the march. We will never know.
Let us salute that group who hold the “pouvoir” (power) in Barbados; and i’m not talking about the government or the masses. To be continued.
Lashley is lying, there cannot be any savings, if a transmission cost 30,000 and you hire a consultant at 22,000 per month plus perks to make a few calls to US to get the transmission for 6,000….the excess money is paying the consultant for the calls he made, 22,000 plus perks, which adds up to a hell of a lot more than 30,000 per transmission, where is the savings.
Abd besides, Lashley said they git the trsnsmisdions, so what does he still need the consultant for, the consuktant coukd have stayed in Trinidad on a shirt 3 month contract and made the same calls to Texas.
And how much did Lashley pay PWC to tell him he is saving and if they told him that, they should not be an accounting firm….and like all the other ministers….Lashley cant count for shit.
No wonder people are fed up of these jokers.
“Carson….yall wont stop telling lies…Herbert said there was no threat of civil unrest in the letter. …so show us the letter….cause I tend to believe him.
Ya see, he say, he say.
https://www.barbadostoday.bb/2017/07/25/not-true-7/
“Chairman of the Barbados Private Sector Association (BPSA) Charles Herbert has flatly rejected suggestions that the business community had threatened social unrest if Prime Minister Freundel Stuart did not hold talks with the unions and the private sector ahead of a scheduled August 18 meeting of the Social Partnership.
Speaking at a luncheon of the Democratic Labour Party’s Christ Church West Branch at the Almond Bay Hotel Sunday Stuart said he was told “to meet or to schedule a meeting in order to avert social unrest, which is a coded way of saying, ‘if you don’t meet there will be social unrest’”.
“Since Fruendel has called the private sector (read the white people) predatory cats, lions and mongooses tell me again why did Jepter apologize for calling them parasites?
And those of us who are Bajans, especially those of us who like Freundel, are country Bajans, know that to be called a sneaky, egg sucking, parasitic, thieving mongoose is the very worse kind of insult”.
Lol, lol…I have never seen anything like that, it’s like a paradox.
They forced Ince to apologize to sweeten the Mangoose to side with them in their intent to economically hurt the workers. …when that backfired, Fruendel resorted to calling the employers he holds in higher esteem than the workers who pays his and the ministers salaries….Mangoose, which is so much more insulting than …parasites..lol
But both governments have known along that the private sector are largely comprised of Mangoose, whose actions against the workers, the people and the island, both governments have been actively enabling and condoning for decades…..a crime against their own people.
A message needed to be sent to both governments that the decades of disdain they carry for workers and unions, while the ministers spent all those decades in solidarity with employers who exploit in all manner and discriminate in all manner against all these employees. …had to end one way or another.
Even if it took the selfishness of the employers to pretend they are in solidarity with the employees to achieve that objective…….which turned out to be .a real paradox of the government’s own making.
That is what happens when ya spent decades neglecting ya own people, selling out ya own people…the universe takes a stance.
And besides, Lashley said they got the transmissions all installed, so what does he still need the consultant for at 22,000 per month plus perks, the consultant could have stayed in Trinidad on a short 3 month contract and made the same calls to Texas.
Michael Lashley is a real, real idiot….and these clowns claim to be the best educated in the Caribbean, having the best schools in the world.
While a Trini who aint so bright charges the taxpayers 22,000 per month, plus perks for another 5 years for making a few calls….steuppss.
While Lashley needs an accounting firm to tell him it saves money, which it does not.
Vote them all out.
Will Fruendel apologize for calling the private sector Mangoose, doubt it and he should not…..it was pre ordained that he says what everyone has known for decades.
Besides, he did not call them Mangoose only, his mouth was filled with a list of descriptive animals…lol….all vicious..lol
Let’s see if he will stand by his convictions…
Let’s see if he is a man or a spineless mouse….
The workers, union and electorate should always be unforgiving of governments…dont care who they are, who stand in solidarity with employers instead of with workers and unions….and both governments have practiced that for decades…..
…but finally, the government stands alone as a pariah.
It’s time for ALL workers on the island to be unionized, too many employers are getting away with paying unliveable, slave wages that both governments continue to enable.
BTW…..did any of the 3rd parties march in solidarity with the workers and unions….was Grenville and Lynette et al there.
And I hope Mia’s solidarity in marching was for the workers and unions and not the private sector.
I can’t make this any clearer.
The government tried to provoke the unrest…It just shows up Fruendel and his ministers as being totally out of tune and unaware of how mature bajans can be when they need to be, which of course has made the government look stupid.
The population just has to keep displaying that level of maturity…a win win.
Besides…it also shows that the government believes that the private sector (Mangoose) whom both governments have been in bed with for decades against the workers of the country and the unions….are capable of creating civil unrest in the country using the workers………
… they would like the population to believe that also..
So if government believes that the private sector is capable of destabilizing the country and the government…why have both governments for decades and still do today….fund the private sector with taxpayer’s and pensioners money….
That has to end…the governments are creating instability when they fund the private sector against taxpayers, against unions, against workers, using the population’s money……and then complain about threat of civil unrest instigated by the private sector…..everytime they have a falling out with the private sector..
How much more foolish can these two governments be.
Despite all of that, the government would still seek to be vindictive and punish the workers and unions, by refusing to do their jobs…
Do they even understand what that tells intelligent people about their mentalities.
So if government believes that the private sector is capable of destabilizing the country and the government…why have both governments for decades and still do today….fund the private sector with taxpayer’s and pensioners money…
I will even go so far and call it funding private sector (Mangoose) terrorism against ya own people.
Just remember it’s Fruendel, ministers and yardfowls put the information out there.
Continue to comments here:
https://barbadosunderground.wordpress.com/2017/07/24/a-failure-of-the-social-partnership-government-out-of-step-with-civil-society-time-for-workers-to-rise-up/