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Jo-Ann Haigh

She was the most visible demonstration of rare competence during the last DLP administration. Despite everything falling around her (low water pressure, water outages, water leaks, sewage in the streets, etc), she made us feel that the BWA truly cared and were trying their best.

She appeared to single-handedly manage two national crises that were not improving, but getting worse. Yet she performed to a level of excellence that is not normal in the public or private sector of any country on this planet. As Communications Manager, she seemed to be on call 24/7/365 and consistently on point – an impressive level of commitment.

Most persons appear to receive national honours for doing work for which they were already paid to do. If there was ever an exemplar of a person who went far beyond the call of duty in putting Barbados first, and the needs of Barbadians over her own, it was Joy-Ann Haigh. For her demonstrated consistent level of excellence, she was deservedly given Combermere School’s alumni’s Flame Award, normally reserved for persons after a career of exemplary service.

Joy-Ann Haigh was the BWA’s most valuable resource, without doubt. Therefore, it took a special level of lunatic management to place her name on a lay-off list, and incompetence of the highest order to actually send her home.

If such a critically important post is being made redundant as reported, then we have the rare misfortune of witnessing, within the BWA, a demonstration of the next psychological state after madness, whatever that happens to be. We were told to simply elect and watch, well, watch on with dismay.


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128 responses to “A Grenville Phillips Column – Lunacy”


  1. Agreed.


  2. Looks like Grenville will be cherry picking causes that resonate with the general population. A more people centric strategy. The other political parties should sit up.

    Excellent Grenville!

  3. NorthernObserver Avatar
    NorthernObserver

    Another little message the good ship Barbados, is not in the improved hands one might have “hoped”.


  4. Yeap ! Everything this Mia lead govt has done in six month has been “psychological madness” Which govt on this planet have anyone ever heard to take away old people savings at”will”and use said savings to pay govt debt.
    Which govt has anyone ever heard to pay retrenched workers with bonds which by law in barbados workers are required to receive their wages in legal currency
    Which govt has anyone ever heard gave away millions to dollars inntax waivers to corporate barbados and citizens never told who got the monies
    This govt has demonstrated what it is to be a lunatic

  5. Jeff Cumberbatch Avatar
    Jeff Cumberbatch

    Who would have made this selection for retrenchment? And on what basis? Might it have been voluntary?


  6. Jeff

    Even if she volunteered the Company still had the final say so – and if they felt like Grenville did – that she performed at a high level and that the position should be kept – then her offer to be paid out would have been refused.


  7. The BWA may argue that it no longer requires Ms Haigh to carry out the work of a Communications Manager – because the work had ceased or diminished or is expected to cease or diminish. (See sections 31(2)(b) and (3) of the Employment Rights Act 2012.) And the diminishing work of the Communications Manager will be absorbed by another Manager/s.

    The Employment Rights Act 2012 is available at: https://labour.gov.bb/wp-content/uploads/PDF/Employment-Rights-Act-2012-9-Corrected-Copy.pdf


  8. Mia said during the elections :”Give muh de vote and watch muh” – well we are watching and we are not liking what we see at all.

    Almost every single decision she has made – she had to go back and tinker with and fix .

    She famously asked for 3 no confidence motions against the last finance minister Chris Sinckler and one against Freundel – well a lot of persons could now say the same about her – WE HAVE NO CONFIDENCE IN YOU MIA.

    YUH DON’T HAVE A CLUE – and all you are doing is flying all over the place at a time of National crisis with the economy, problems with the sewage system, fiasco with lay-offs in the public service, Foreign Creditors making serious threat about their money, etc etc – and we are getting is a lot of public relations crap – that is not connecting at all with the issues at hand.

    Why don’t you settle yuhself, stop flying bout and address these issues.

    This like it is an apprenticeship time for you Mia and your ministers – even though half of them held ministerial positions before.

    Piss Poor indeed.


  9. Positions are made redundant, not individuals.


  10. So who is surprised here..I bet no one..

    http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/219771/-workers-nis-bind

    “Some retrenched workers from the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) are finding themselves in another pickle.
    .
    “They have been left unable to claim any National Insurance Scheme (NIS) unemployment benefits due to an anomaly with the BWA and the Statutory Board Pensions Act.”


  11. I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that this government is not totally sure exactly what they are doing either, it is quite obvious that they are winging it……no matter what yardfowls say.

    They as a government CANNOT even source garbage trucks without involving Simpson Motors or some other parasite,

    https://barbadostoday.bb/2018/12/03/trucks-to-roll-in/

    “We are going to have some trucks here. I am going to put it this way. The first occasion, there was a little ‘cloudy weather’ at that time. We had to examine what was happening carefully. We are in a fairly good position now and I don’t want anything to occur . . . the Prime Minister doesn’t want anything to occur that would be interpreted the wrong way, and we have to make a firm decision on that,” he said then.”


  12. WARU

    YUH SURE BET SISTER.


  13. Grenville Phillips

    Joy Ann Haigh was the BWA most valuable resource, she performed with a lot of talk (untruth) to covered the incompetence of the BWA.


  14. @watchman
    By your definition all the better to keep her since she fits in well with her Minister and other members of government.

    Lotta talk. Lotta bungling. Lotta smoke and mirrors.

    Just observing


  15. @Observing

    Is it not disturbing every Rh issue is distilled based on the political? It does not matter the political party holding office.

    These political yardfowls will never get it, a good thing we still have Independent minded people out there to keep the flame of hope burning.

    This morning we hear the news that rentrenched BWA workers are ineligible for benefits from the unemployment and pension benefits because some overlooked and obscure clause classify the BWA as a central government unit. The GM is happy to kick the issue to another place. Really?

    Looks like Senator Caswell may have a case that the BWA is flailing in deep waters.

  16. William Skinner Avatar

    Why is a special envoy , not elected by the people, constantly in the media , defending government policy? Experts advise; leaders speak to the country.


  17. The PM policies are ridiculous and now the messages she is sending gets more cloudy and messy by the day
    What govt issue a asinine statement about weather related issues in the delay of buying the buses
    Either the buses are bought and to be delivered or NOT
    The fact being that this govt way of being transparent now hinges on more more lies and deception


  18. David simce may 24th it seems as if you have bern “enoch” your timing is spectaular meaning that on any given day when govt flaws become transparent you quickly run to paper and pen with articles of distraction
    Hence these long Drawn out articles about Trump


  19. I have to admit that I am not impressed with what has transpired since May 24th. Too much confusion. No improvement. Promises broken. Plenty unfairness. Nuff nuff excuses!

  20. pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright

    This is the singular problem that we are seeing all over Bulbados

    Because I speak pretty, notwithstanding that I am telling wunna to cut off wunna private parts, some idiot going come along and say that I should not be dismissed.

    This is idiocy Grenville.

    Every chance you get to advance ghd cause of solutions Barbados you does go ahead and promote someone else’s party.

    That is why de old man says that you are your very worst enemy.

    STEUPSEEE

    A blogger says Tony Trotman, and I quote

    “…The BWA may argue that it no longer requires Ms Haigh to carry out the work of a Communications Manager – because the work had ceased or diminished or is expected to cease or diminish…”

    The fact is that the Mugabe regime has two communications specialists

    Lucille Moe and Charles Jong so there is no need for Ms Haigh anyways

    Grenville you are your own worst enemy.

    Why you dont revert to that writer you were using a few weeks ago and leave this writing out of your portfolio?


  21. @ William,

    I am sure you mean the technocrats who speak on government policy. Who elected them? We have a prime minister that does not trust her other 28 elected parliamentarians – and they are prepared to tolerate this humiliation because of the status of holding office.
    Have you noticed that Mascoll, like the civil service, has been sidelined.
    We have a government that is authoritarian, publicity obsessed, and lost. What is its programme for change? It will end in tears.
    Barbados is a failed state.


  22. This only represents the very nature of the political-economic system we have.

    That system is such, that Ptah forbid, if Grenville and his motley bunch, by some miracle, were to have won the last ‘national public relations expression’ the same kind of things would happen.

    Until Bajans, and all the peoples of the world, come to grips with the immutable nature of the systems around us, we will keep seeing these kinds of social atrocities.

    Indeed, the last DLP government was the worst ever on Earth or Mars

    However, we are not unpersuaded that Jeff Cumberbatch, this lady Ms Haigh and many others were the extreme opposite of such failure.

    But it makes no difference. Not under this decadent system.

  23. BEAUTIFUL BEIGE Avatar

    It is SO VERY SAD that the people of Barbados could be so easily deceived. Time and time again. I have an excellent memory. These problems were manifesting themselves in the last BLP administration that ended in 2008. They were “summarily”thrown out. The DLP was the greatest and most definite answer to Barbados’ problems.

    Ten years later, 98% of the electorate have TOTALLY forgotten the corruption, mismanagement and chaos of the BLP prior to 2008 and have done the EXACT same thing again. A famous man Albert Einstein remarked: If you keep on doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result — you are insane.

    Well we have an insane country run by lunatics. My best advice for you is to turn back to God, humble yourselves, REPENT, turn from your wicked ways, SEEK HIS FACE and HE will heal our land.

    The choice is yours.

  24. pieceuhderockyeahright Avatar
    pieceuhderockyeahright

    @ Mariposa

    Your post of 8.48 am is interesting

    It is true that the articles coincide strategically but, with all due respect to the Blogmaster, is it not his job to keep the new blogs going on BU?

    Seriousl,y you and T Inniss often say that the Honourable Blogmaster is biased and is either writing an article to support Mugabe or your other cry is that he is trying to dilute our focus by featuring Trunk.

    but yet, and de ole man may be wrong about this but, I have yet to see you, OR T INNISS, submit and article here for the keyboard warriors to comment on

    Do you fear that your idiocy will be totally exposed in a 500 word article


  25. Joy-Ann was an expert bull-shitter….
    She smiled and told us what we all knew to be lies – but she was pretty face (for a change0 so we swallowed.

    Having said that, Grenville does have a point inasmuch as if bullshit was able to baffle brass bolt brains – why let her go…?

    The answer to THAT is quite simple –
    Where jackasses are in charge, it is risky to be a thoroughbred – even a thoroughbred bull shitter.

    Why the Manager was not sent packing ….EVEN before the layoffs, explains the whole enigma
    Here is a man who has failed at EVERY SHIITE so far…

    He should have been fired when the injection wells failed.
    But then he got to spend millions more on another FAILED fix – some ‘internal leak fix’ mumbo jumbo…

    …and who does BWA send home…?
    The fellow who is responsible for installing the Solar Systems that will save MILLIONS in electricity costs…

    If this is NOT a curse on our wicked brass bowls then NOTHING IS….
    We are FIGHTING to get our donkeys into the grass.


  26. Not sure I agree with all the plaudits handed out to Ms. Haigh but I believe as the public face of the BWA she repeated what she was told to a public that was thirsty for any information regarding the woes of the sewage plant, not that the many statements reflected any degree of accuracy with what was actually happening on the ground.

    If the General manager still has a job it tells one what is really going on in Bim ( now sing “God bless Bim on Independence Day” etc.)


  27. RE Hal Austin December 4, 2018 9:09 AM

    @ William,

    I am sure you mean the technocrats who speak on government policy. Who elected them? We have a prime minister that does not trust her other 28 elected parliamentarians – and they are prepared to tolerate this humiliation because of the status of holding office.
    Have you noticed that Mascoll, like the civil service, has been sidelined.
    We have a government that is authoritarian, publicity obsessed, and lost. What is its programme for change? It will end in tears.
    Barbados is a failed state.

    THIS IS A GOOD SUMMARY OF THE CURRENT SITUATION IN BARBADOS THAT CAN NOT BE REFUTED

    IT SEEMS THAT ONE IS NOT PERMITTED TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DISSAPOINTMENT AND DISMAY OF THE POPULACE AT THE DISMAL DISPLAY OF THE DUMMIES VOTED INTO OFFICE ON 25TH OF MAY

    NOT ONLY DLP YARDFOWLS ARE CROWING
    YOU CAN BE SURE THAT INDEPENDENTS AND HONEST BLP SUPPORTERS ARE ALSO
    IN DISARRAY WITH THE LACK OF GRAIN IN DE BACKYARD, AND THE HOPLESSNES OF THE SITUATION GOING FORWARD

    BUT THE TRUTH MUST BE TOLD


  28. Donna @ 8:53 a.m.

    That sums it up right there.

    However I would like to add to that the dangerous precedent of consorting with non drug dealers to the extent that they are personally invited to attend to the official opening of parliament with her as prime minister for the first time.

    Talk about loaded symbolism !

    What message was being sent to the youth who you are now promoting ?

    Add to that as well the lies and the hypocrisy of ranting against ‘perceived’ wrong doings by the last government – and then before the cock can crow three times – you boldly doing the same – but only to the tenth degree.

    Yuh doubt me – then check out what she said in 2013 at the Chamber of Commerce about P.M. Stuart and his frequent flying and how he needed to stay home and deal with the people’s business;

    Check out how at that same meeting to her pals in the business class – how she railed against the prime minister’s cabinet being too big and how it should be reduced to 14 ministers;

    Check out how before the elections she criticized the South Coast Sewage problem every day – again with the total support of her agents in the media.

    She went to the media and laid out a 3 point plan which she said would ‘mitigate the crisis in the situation’. According to her – and I quote – ” If we were to be elected to government tomorrow, b’dians can have the confidence that within one week we will start to implement a number of plans to address this crisis” :

    Food establishments will be temporarily closed;

    The affected workers will be paid by her government

    Hotels should make arrangement for her guests to stay at other hotels;

    She also marched and protested that barbadians were suffering under too much tax – and that dey can’t take it no more

    She also announced plans to purchase membrane Bioreactive Units

    She promised that workers laid off will be sent home with all their payments on the day they leave

    Lies, Lies and more lies.


  29. I do not know the drug dealers and even if I did I forgot to watch the opening of parliament I am not one for pomp and pageantry and long ignorant talk. If this is true it is most troubling.


  30. Ms. Haigh’s position got made redundant because she was brave enough to tell the new chairman (the PM) to get her act together and stop coming to BWA meetings smelling like a crate of VODKA.


  31. I am all for engaging with the drug dealers in an appropriate manner that leads to change but I cannot see how elevating them immediately to a national stage is an appropriate manner..


  32. Braveness does have its consequences. i know that well.


  33. John Thompson

    What is dat yuh saying dey fella?

    Oh so dat explains de drunken sounding voice note that was circulating of lodean worrell?

    Wait she is a man or a woman ? – she looks a bit trans to me.Hmm.


  34. Donna

    if you are going to engage drug dealers – you make it public – and state the process you will be using and the results you expect.

    No softie- softie approach.

    Not as friends, or equal partners, or big Dons,-nuffin so.

    However if you are already friends to the extent that a picture was circulating on Facebook with Bounty the St Phillip Don -hand around Mia’s waist the night of the election victory;

    And if you use said Drug Dons to get out your vote for the young impressionable people and said drugs,some money and liquor were passed as rewards;

    And if you have been known to provide assistance to said Drug Dons – ask Lord Evil from St Lucy – de people down there say ;

    Then tell me what big stick approach you can use with them.

    Wuh dey tink we are mock sticks.Steupse.


  35. “As Communications Manager, she seemed to be on call 24/7/365 and consistently on point – an impressive level of commitment.”

    Nothing impressive here, this should be the expected standard, if she considers herself a professional. We have become so accustomed to accepting mediocrity that when someone actually does their job in a professional manner we place them on a pedestal.

    This is not excellence, this is simply a good job. Excellence is only achieved by continually improving. As an ISO 9001 advocate you know this.

    “If there was ever an exemplar of a person who went far beyond the call of duty in putting Barbados first, and the needs of Barbadians over her own”

    Ridiculous, the lady did the job she was paid to do, I saw nothing to indicate she went beyond the call of duty. Stop trying to make a martyr out of her.

    “Joy-Ann Haigh was the BWA’s most valuable resource, without doubt”

    Nonsense, absolute utter nonsense. I won’t ask how you arrived at this conclusion

    Its this same unfounded reasoning that Mia used to justify changing the constitution for Adams and McConney. Those two were such valuable resources that we had to move heaven and earth to get them here

    Joy-Ann will find a job in the private sector and will no doubt be happy to be out of that shitshow

    This article was pure fluff Grenville, get back on track


  36. And with that comprehensive comment from Redguard the prosecution can afford to rest!

  37. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    The criteria for redundancy and retrenchment seem to be changing from department to department and from SOE to SOE. It does look confusing ,is that not so?

    Surely the Manager of communications and Public Relations was doing a good job as public relations officer. Making one’s organization look good is the only yardstick by which she should have been assessed.

    @ J T at 10 :08 AM

    I hope that contribution is fake. A public relations communicator would have given that bit of advice more subtly.


  38. Joy-Ann Haigh will get a better job as soon as she chooses.

    As far as the BLP government is concerned, they were in opposition for 8 years and had ” shadow ministries “.

    They have no excuse for failure. They had 8 years to prepare to govern and that is why ” we believed “.


  39. Over the next few weeks, Worthing Beach in Christ Church will be ground zero, as the fight to turn the tide on the South Coast sewage crisis takes on a new twist.
    .
    It is there Government has started construction, and soon to be, installation, of a long-awaited temporary marine outfall to ease the failing network and once and for all contain the area’s sewage woes

    http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/219774/sewage-fix


  40. @Hants
    Over the next few weeks, Worthing Beach in Christ Church will be ground zero, as the fight to turn the tide on the South Coast sewage crisis takes on a new twist
    +++++++++++++
    I realize that that is the Nation’s prose not yours but if the beach is now “ground zero’ what was it before? It is not as if we were going to the beach to enjoy the salubrious breezes and dunk ourselves in the azure waters. This sewage crisis got the “brightest” minds stumped, perhaps we should build a sarcophagus around the whole area a la Chernobyl and start all over again uh mean Sisyphus would be truly impressed by all our efforts.


  41. Vincent @ 10:33 a.m.

    Your first line in that post sums up what I have also been saying:

    What is really the reason for these lay-offs in the public service.

    Is it modernizing and efficiency like was stated by Mottley – hence the termination of steno – typists ?

    Is it to follow the dictates of the IMF ONLY of a reduction in the numbers – but then why are you replacing the laid off workers with your own people ?

    Is it workers with 10 years or less – but then we see workers with longer length of service being sent home

    Is there a method to this madness ?

    Chaos reigns – and confidence abhors chaos ,not so ?


  42. @Sargeant

    The area next to the sluice gate is a hive of activity with BWA personnel, pipes and heavy equipment all giving the appearance that there is work to be done.


  43. Despite everything falling around her (low water pressure, water outages, water leaks, sewage in the streets, etc), she made us feel that the BWA truly cared and were trying their best.*

    She appeared to single-handedly manage two national crises

    As Communications Manager, she seemed
    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

    A very amateurish article. It speaks more about emotions and appearances than any hard evidence, which is ironic coming from an engineer. As BWA propagandist in chief she did what the job required.

    Why should she be treated differently than the maids and security guards who have been let go?

  44. Vincent Codrington Avatar
    Vincent Codrington

    @ T.Inniss at 10 :56 AM

    There are overconfident people in this world who, through their ignorance, create chaos unnecessarily.
    Competent people abhor chaos. But chaos is a necessary precursor to a paradigm shift.

    David BU is looking forward to a paradigm shift.

    And so am I,minus the overconfidence and the ignorance. Both of which I abhor.


  45. RE The area next to the sluice gate is a hive of activity with BWA personnel, pipes and heavy equipment all giving the appearance that there is work to be done.

    ARE THERE NO COMPETENT PERSONS TRAINED IN PUBLIC HEALTH IN BARBADOS TO HANDLE THESE ISSUES
    OR
    ARE THEY BEING OVERWHELMED BY THEIR INFERIOR SUPERIORS

    I HEY SINGING SOME PSALMS AND REJOICING THAT GOD DIRECTED MY PATHS AND DELIVERED ME FROM THE PUBLIC SERVICE


  46. Six months later after said that they can solve tge Sewer problemb tax payers money are being thrown down the pit toilet
    So much for accountabilty and transparency


  47. I am sorry to see Jo-Ann go.


  48. I think that jo-Ann was working in a difficult situation, where we the citizens, both corporate and private owed the Water Authority millions of dollars, so preventing the Water Authority from doing the work it should have been doing. It seems to me as well that for many years the BWA did not prioritize properly.

    Deliver clean water.

    Collect all of the money for the same.

    Do expansion, repairs and mainteinance.

    Keep contracts lean and mean.

    Repeat:

    Deliver clean water.

    Collect all of the money for the same.

  49. Barbados Underground Whistleblower Avatar
    Barbados Underground Whistleblower

    @ T. Inniss

    Don’t let anyone distract you from exposing TRUTH.


  50. Whistleblower

    Not a chance.I am too much like you buddy.

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