Submitted by Just Observing
The history of the Trade Union movement is a checkered one, but, regardless, it has always been consistently associated with numbers, strength, values and representation. Oh for the good old days. The past 3-5 years has seen a rapid decline in the interest, membership and integrity of our trade unions through the actions (sometimes shameless) of its leaders. It has also seen a clear strategic attempt by the powers at be to “integrate and include” labour when convenient for specific goals and certain silence. Take for example…
After fighting for 23% wage increase with backpay, our leaders capitulated for 5% going back 18 months only
For the first time in the history of Barbados, Trade Unions joined, marched with and locked arms with Private Sector bosses to appeal the NSRL and “reduce cost of living.” Well I am sure we all have seen that reduction.
We have seen bitter battles, contentious insults and massive shots across the bow of a previous government for many matters sometimes minor. Yet, silence abounds in times of clear economic and employment uncertainty even BEFORE Covid-19.
The Social Partnership was touted as a beacon of collaboration and communication. When last has it met? Where’s the BWU’s place? What is a CTUSAB???
It’s clear to a blind man on a trotting horse that trade union leadership and politics are like kith and kin. However, the blatant display of this incestuous relationship recently and the continued tone-deaf actions by the leaders give little to no hope to current members or prospective members. What’s the sense, what’s the point. Think about it….
One can argue that there are more “conversations” and “talks” but to us workers, that’s all it is. Talk. Talk doesn’t rehire or repay. It doesn’t lower the price of gas or goods. It doesn’t give comfort to the temporary or superceded employee. And it sure doesn’t give comfort to those blatantly overlooked and disadvantaged for purely political or nepotistic reasons. To end let’s look at the profiles of our leaders
BUT President – clearly waiting to put on running shoes for a jog to the south east
BSTU President – never a negative word said about her “boss” despite the clear failings and missteps in the sector
NUPW President – Trying to be Houdini and transform into a General Secretary with a full time salary while public workers struggle. Wow.
BWU President – or should I say the MP for St. George and Lord know what else in the organization. What was that verse about God and Mammon?
CTUSAB President – who is CTUSAB President? Does anyone know? oh yes, He is the newly appointed Chief of Security at the Barbados Medicinal Cannabis Licensing Authority. (https://gisbarbados.gov.bb/blog/role-for-security-providers-in-medicinal-cannabis-industry/)
We all know 6 is half dozen, but if employees and workers can’t find a good omelette to eat when they are hungry then it’s a sad day in Barbados. May the good Lord help us. Let’s hope the other Union with that Senator fella continues to scramble some eggs whenever he gets a chance.
@ David BU
Is it possible that the unions as we knew them are gradually becoming an anachronism in an evolving different economy and society? We understand what roles they played in the post WWII era. Can we say that the issues faced by workers in this transitional phase are of the same genre? Is there still a” we” and a” they”? Should there not be collaboration rather than contention? Within the last three decades we have legalised the social outcomes of contentions. These pieces of legislations seem to be death knell of unions as we knew them.
Again just thinking aloud.
@Vincent
The Trade Union model is not fit for purpose and is being manipulated by capital (politicians) at the expense of labour.
@ David BU at 6.05 Pm
Precisely. You have put my position more succinctly. I would not put the blame entirely on Capital they have gone through their own metamorphosis ,probably ahead of Labour. You are correct the purpose has changed .They both have to adapt themselves to the New Normal.
@Vincent
As far as blame allocation there must be weighting assigned based on roles and responsibilities in civil society. A key factor is that this is a result of a lazy burgeoning so-called middle-class.
@ David BU
Again I am in agreement with you about the functioning of the Middle Class. From my visits to other blogs and the comments made by thought leaders, I get a sense that instead of making things happen they are waiting for some one else to do the heavy lifting. And this is disconcerting.. But maybe they too are in transition. and plenty is taking place in the background of which we are not aware. I am an optimist and I hope interesting strategies are in the pipeline.
@Vincent
” I get a sense that instead of making things happen they are waiting for some one else to do the heavy lifting”
That’s our challenge as a country. As we often ask, “will the real leaders please stand up??”
@David
Do any of the current crop give any indication that they are evolving to make things “fit for purpose?”
Just observing
@Observing
So far âfit for purposeâ is the cliche of the moment.
@ Davie
N case you missed BBC Breaking News’s Tweet
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Carrie Symonds were married in a small ceremony at Westminster Cathedral on Saturday, No 10 confirms
https://bbc.in/3wLeBTY
People say he is Elton’s biggest UK fan.
Toffees & truffles, who calling…Sweets n more Sweets….All dem sweeties..
Vincent Codrington
You have spoken of the changing phenomenon of the Trade Unions of the Post-World War II Era, but we have to talk about the Trade Unions of the 70s and 80s, and how they carried out their mandate, and delivered to the workers what were justly deserving to them.
Vincent Codrington
As a member of a Trade Union for more than three decades, I have witnessed the changing face of the Trade Union, from the 80s, 90s and in the 2000s, and it is has been disappointing, because the Trade Union has done a poor job in its efforts to negotiating contracts, as well as it has struggled to retained those pensions and benefits that were fought hard for in the previous decades.
@Dompey
It is 2021. It is up to the paying members of any Union to seek change. If they don’t seek it who will?
@ David and BU elite.
” Tech giants and tax havens targeted by historic G7 deal ”
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/g7-nations-near-historic-deal-080128063.html
@hants
Does this cripple or 1 – 2.5%??
Just observing
@Observing
It is not looking good for tax havens like us.
https://www.facebook.com/jeremy.stephen3/videos/10165363317245361/
The original problems necessitating the rise of Trade Unions such as worker victimization has been all but addressed with the passage of various pieces of legislation and employee/employer rights bills over the years. Just like the crime rate will never be zero, worker victimization, pay issues, etc. will always exist but the traditional trade union issues are now on a much smaller scale than previously and there now exists legal avenues for redress, such as the Employee Rights Tribunal.
Trade Unions need to recognize their role must change to meet the current and future needs of their membership if they are to attract new members. Their focus should now be on
1) Ensuring all frameworks supporting all the laws on the statue books affecting their membership are working efficiently and grievances are addressed in a timely manner. e.g. An Employee Rights Tribunal is a great idea but becomes a total waste of time if it is so poorly staffed that simple cases take far too long to be heard.
2) Empowering their membership with on demand presentations/videos on various topics such as financial management, debt reduction, know your rights, etc.
3) Encouraging their membership’s entrepreneurial spirit by providing services, training programs, newsletters, etc. relevant to this budding class of worker that needs a different kind support than the traditional worker if this new class is to flourish in the shortest possible time.
@CA
The role of the trade union get more awesome if you factor employer/capital not retooling the business to sustain competitiveness; fit for purpose. Labour is vested in the business sustaining competitiveness.
Symmonds: Businesses must adapt to survive > > By Colville Mounsey colvillemounsey@nationnews.com > > Minister of Energy, Small Business and Entrepreneurship Kerrie Symmonds is > concerned businesses in Barbados are not adapting fast enough to the > COVID-19 environment. > > He said some appear intent on sticking with the storefront model rather > than tapping into the vast potential of online shopping and deliveries. > > In an interview with Sunday Sun, Symmonds, who was responding to concerns > raised by the retail sector over closures due to COVID-19-related > difficulties, said there continued to be an unwillingness to shift from the > old way of doing things. > > Last month, the Barbados Chamber of Commerce & Industry warned Barbadians > to brace for the closure of a number of retail stores, especially within > The City, as the protracted hardship of COVID-19 was proving too much. It > was noted then that the customer base had vastly shifted towards malls > and many store owners were now left with few options. The comments followed > news of the closure of Material Things’ flagship outlet in Bridgetown after > more than three decades. > > Symmonds said while he acknowledged that COVID-19 continued to pound the > retail sector, he wanted to see more adaptability from the business sector > to meet the changing times. > > Make model fit > > “It is necessary for all of us, and I mean from the smallest of businesses > to the highest, to sit down and look at their model and to make that model > fit into this environment. It is very important for us to do some > fundamentals and, where possible, to ensure that services are available > online. Social distancing is still a requirement and people are still > reluctant to come out, and I suspect that if you go online and make > yourself accessible, one may see someresults. The bricks and mortar thing > is not the only option,” he said. > > “Businesses must also look at working together to make sure that > deliveries can be done. Even though you are my competitor, we can work > together to make sure that we deliver product and this would not only > ensure that our product gets into other people’s homes and businesses but > that you are employing other small people to deliver the product,” he added. > > The minister pointed out that during the lockdowns to mitigate the spread > of COVID-19, many businesses were trending in this direction, but as soon > as the restrictions were lifted they returned to business as usual. > > “Where I have a lot of concern is that I saw a lot of people doing this > thing instinctively during the COVID-19 shutdowns and immediately after I > am seeing a fall-off of it now. I have a concern with the supermarkets. I > am going to be brutally frank; it disturbs me that if I go to Trinidad and > Tobago business sector website, I can see that they are doing deliveries > to the home by major supermarket chains. I am not seeing it to the same > extent, if at all, in Barbados. It happened during COVID-19 but it has > stopped now. We need to hold the feet of the businesspeople to the fire, > not just Government, because there has to be innovation,” he said. >
Source: Nation Newspaper
>
@Hants June 5, 2021 11:19 PM
It serves us right grabbing at other people’s money we did not rightfully earn and we all know it too.
What can we expect when China fooled us and almost all the other countries in the world into overreacting and tanking their own economies over a pandemic that would have been like a severe flu season if the real science had been followed instead of ignored and people were treated in a timely manner instead locking down people. The countries are simply tightening their belts and taking back what is rightfully theirs; had to come sooner or later.
It is high time we do the same and start earning our foreign exchange the proper way i.e. producing and offering tangible products and services unique enough that we can charge a premium for. instead of borrowing money and refinancing debt to prop up foreign reserves to waste buying things we don’t need or can produce locally if we do it right.
@David June 6, 2021 5:07 AM
That article sounds all sweet and nice and I don’t know what profession Kerrie Symmonds is in or what businesses he has had experience running successfully but what he says is wishful thinking.
Everything he is telling business people to do is not free at all, it costs money, time, effort and significant risk at a time when businesses just don’t have the funds to survive the cost of failure of said changes. Government is in no different boat than the business sector. The only difference is government has the power to shape, set and change the rules they operate under where businesses must operate under those same rules and can only agitate for changes. The only business I can see in Barbados that has gotten the online ordering correct is Chefette.
This COVID pandemic has shown how inept almost all governments worldwide and various people we have put in huge decision making position to set policy are.
@CA
All the reasoning you have offered applies if businesses maintain traditional models distributing products and services.
The move by Akanni to make a grab for general secretary position seems a bold face move.
A trade union must aim to resolve a dispute as quickly as possible. However, there is a perception that a trade union may not do so – if it is “politically inconvenient”.
For example, see https://www.nationnews.com/2016/03/29/all-ah-we-is-one-trade-union-battles/
The members of the BWU must determine if Ms Toni Moore can effectively represent the interests of the BWU – if there is a dispute between the BLP Government and the BWU. And if there would be a conflict of interest.
It is obvious that trade union mismanagement has come to its disgraceful end. We don’t need unions these days, we need a strong Prime Minister who will work with businessmen to set wage conditions that will make our island internationally competitive. What we urgently need is a ceiling on salaries for local workers of a maximum of USD 10 per hour.
What is left of the unions should be merged into a single union and placed under the direction of the Minister of Labour. The union assets should be held in trust by the Minister of Labour.
“Political strategy to weaken the Union here in the States”
There is a pushed by government here in the States to strategically break the Union, by passing pieces of legislation that enables newer employees in private and governmental sector, to choose as to whether or not they wish to participate in the Union.
Now traditionally, if you were chosen for a particular job with an Union you had no alternative or were forced to pay Union dues, however, newer employees are demanding that they be given option to choose between these two alternative, and thus far, it is an effective strategy by Republican government here in the States to dismantle the Union, and it is working in some States here in the US.
Republican government here is using the old strategy of Divide and Conquer to render the Union ineffective because an effective Union can only be had in the unification of the workforce.
@ Hanis at 11:19 PM
Thanks for upload. This confirms what I have pointed out for years. It is competition for tax revenues and the death knell for tax havens. The off shore sector is another sector in which we have to press the reset button as well. Managing small open economies is not easy. We need to be a less critical and more supportive of the efforts of Administrations.
From what Avinash Persaud is positing, the counter to the OECD move is to lure international companies to headquarter in Barbados.
@ David BU at 2:13.PM
It all depends on what one means by “headquarter”. Unfortunately that eventuality has already been covered. But lets wait and see.
@Vincent
One must give credit to the gentleman he knows what he is talking about.
This may have some relevancy, as well:
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/workers-are-gaining-leverage-over-employers-in-us/articleshow/83276483.cms
EXPLAINER: Curbing tax avoidance by multinational companies
https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-europe-health-coronavirus-pandemic-business-1ad0c2e08fc614f06ce83aca9b34ae84
According to our calculations based on 2016 data
https://www.taxfairness.ca/en/news/barbados-remains-canadas-top-tax-haven
“Grabbing at money we did not earn” sounds familiar. Where did I hear that before?
Oh yeah! The white nations who had the forced labour of our African descendants.
Not to mention the land they stole.
They ruled that they must have access to our markets thereby pricing our manufacturers out of our own markets.
Must they have everything their way????
Critical Analyzer is a one-eyed jack!
@Vinnie
“It is competition for tax revenues and the death knell for tax havens. The off shore sector is another sector in which we have to press the reset button as well. Managing small open economies is not easy. We need to be a less critical and more supportive of the efforts of Administrations.”
Was good to see your contribution. It would appear that in addition to Covid-19, other sectors of our economy will be under attack. The world as we know it is changing. Silly statement.
Source: Nation
Are these the same people that want to talk about a song, young people and raising kids. Too many people like they gone crazy fighting for power and control?
https://barbadostoday.bb/2021/06/08/police-called-to-restore-order-at-nupw/
Observing asked ‘whither labour’ in the submission – now we know.
Source: Nation
Source: Nation
Source: Nation
SOURCE: NATION
@ David
Back in 1986, the Deputy General Secretaries of the BWU represented the DLP at the polls (https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=459023327455586&id=186710391353549).
Former deputy general secretary of the NUPW Dr. Derek Alleyne lost to the BLP’s Rommel Marshall in St. Michael West Central in 1994 and 1999 (http://www.caribbeanelections.com/bb/constituencies/SMWC.asp).
BUT president Pedro Shepherd has been eyeing St. Michael East for a decade now (https://www.nationnews.com/2012/08/06/trio-after-dlp-ticket/).
BUT General Secretary Toni Moore took the baton from Gline Clarke for the Bees. There are warring factions at the NUPW. The silence of the teachers’ unions is as unprecedented as COVID and meetings with members are out of style.
A recent former BSTU vice president is now an ambassador while another continues acting as Chief Education Officer. BSTU president Mary Redman has also become more understanding of government’s efforts (https://barbadostoday.bb/2019/02/13/bstu-urges-educators-to-be-patient/).
When former BUT presidents Minister Jones, Parliamentary Secretary Harry Jones and Chief Best were in charge the BSTU was much more aggressive. Remember Alexandra.
CTUSAB is just as useless. The first vice president is the man eyeing St. Michael South East. He will soon look to his school Wilkie Cumberbatch to push his ambitions. A former CTUSAB president accepted the chairmanship of a secondary school board from the former government while president.
So President O’Neal is just following suit.
We are witnessing the unions’ collapse. Their members are leaderless, misguided or being led astray by the political agendas their leaders represent, bold opportunists and union parasites feeding on the dues of members.
What can the workers do?
A trade union is setup that the workers should be able to demand change?
The truth is like most member bodies in Barbados there is a high level of apathy.
Where do we go from here?
@ all
The unions were duped by the Duopoly to sit at the table of something called a Social Partnership. And then like magic, we could not tell the pigs from the humans; just like Animal Farm.
Union leaders paraded in marches in their party of choice colors. Any half ah fool would have discerned that they had stupidly carried a joke too far.
But, it has always been like this with the unions. The leaders are either members of the Dees or the Bees and these days, Union leaders see themselves as part of a partnership that muzzles them and have them eating crumbs from the politicians table.
So, if it’s the BEES turn to dominate them that is in keeping with the status quo. Quite frankly Mottley and company is using the same stick that beat Tom to beat Harry.
I remember as a young unionist, my Union wanted to protest some issue while Barrow was PM. We approached the BWU for some support. The “ heavy roller”- Sir Frank Walcott told our delegation: “Flying fish can’t swim with Sharks “
Back then the unions in great measure were in the pocket of the DEES. What goes around comes around.
A bundle of bold faced hypocrites pretending that unions should be free of politics. Their memories are conveniently short. Mia is large and in charge . She is very much like her “ real” grandfather , Barrow. She publicly said that when she got home from school
, he was there to greet her. Lessons learnt. Brek them up Mia!
And while the union leaders were duped so too the general body consisting of ordinary educated workers. We are all vested in the outcomes.
@ David
Of late , I have been quite impressed by your efforts to come across as balanced. I sincerely hope you join us who have written off the BLPDLP.
Good governance cannot be measured by constantly trying to give ones party some fake moralistic pass.
These two parties continued dominance ,is a testimony to how , in some cases unintentionally decent , law abiding citizens, get drawn into political skullduggery.
They are seeing the same movie every weekend but unfortunately think that it will end differently.
And that’s the tragedy of it all . The sad reality is that we seem incapable of calling a spade a spade.
There is always a defining moment in events. For me , it was Barrows public order act of 1974.
The second defining moment was when Tom Adams got on the floor of the house and said that the collective bargaining process must never be broken. He was in opposition when Barrow had legislated salaries. Tom did the same thing about two years later.
By then O’Brien Trotman was the general secretary of the NUPW. He ended up as a Senator and minister.
So, the Toni Moore episode is nothing new.
Nobody plants okra and reap corn.
Those who continue to see hope in the Duopoly or try with long basically regurgitated nonsense to prove there is some difference live in world of make belief.
At 3.15 am on 11 June 2021, David asked –
“What can the workers do?”
The workers can seek to change the trade union or they can leave it.
The argument for being or becoming a trade union member is very feeble – if the trade union places its political interests before the interests of its members.
@William
The blogmaster is not trying to impress boy or girl, only to stay try to conscience and ideals.
The hot air being spewed by the NUPW president trying to catapult himself into the position of General Secretary to be renamed Secretary General is timely. As the blogmaster stated in the preceding comment, it shall be up to the membership read You, You and You.
@ Paula Sealy June 10, 2021 11:41 PM
(Quote):
We are witnessing the unions’ collapse. Their members are leaderless, misguided or being led astray by the political agendas their leaders represent, bold opportunists and union parasites feeding on the dues of members. (Unquote).
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
That’s a fair prediction on the inevitable predicament of trade unionism in Bim.
Very few workers in the coming jig economy would waste their money joining a trade union given the quality of the current leadership and the blatant political partisanship on display in the decision-making process of the ‘major’ politically-controlled unions like the NUPW and now BWU.
Future employees in the tourism industry would be engaged on contracts which would effectively preclude them from joining trade unions.
The existing unions can expect to see a significant drop in members right across the local labour market and, as a consequence, membership dues which make up a significant share of the revenues needed to underwrite the highly-remunerated management payroll.
Not even Caswell’s small outfit can save the workers and the unions sorry asses.
Source: NATION NEWS
Interesting workers at Sandy Lane have turned to government. We recall what happened the last time when BWU went against Sandy Lane. Labour is struggling.
SOURCE: NATION NEWS
Source: Nation
@Skinner, @David and all… The unions were ***”duped’****
😂😂😂. Seriously, gentlemen. To suggest that any of Sir Frank Walcott, Sir Roy Trotman, Joe Goddard, Jones etc were led ‘unknowingly’ or ‘deceived’ into partnerships (dare I say unions) with the governing party of the day is to defy commonsense, logic and basic history and both you gentlemen are much too intelligent and knowledgable to try that folly.
Thus, I do like your comedic turn!
In very simple terms sans the lotta long talk analysis (or excellent references like those made by the blogger @Pamela above) I will suffice to say: BOTH parties have the word ‘LABOUR’ in their name… so how in heaven’s name are we now shocked and concerned of the nexus between our local unions and party politics! 🙈
And on the issue of change … I believe @Northern said it as crisply as can be: “… It is up to the paying members of any Union to seek change. If they don’t seek it who will?”
Whither this gnashing of teeth o’er the unrest in the unions or their need to adapt… 1) of course the need to change is as constant as life itself and 2) unions have been undergoing this major structural splintering of their foundational woodwork for at least the last 25 years broadly and more specifically and dramatically (locally and otherwise) for the last 10.
So I hear the angst but cant quite understand the rhetoric that they NOW need to take heed … that’s just hot air … because if they havent or had not long ago modified to address the changed structures then they are already dead.
And to you again @David, I am sure Mr Persaud knows his stuff as you suggested but spewing advice that any first year Econ or Bus college student would offer can’t be an indicator of his expertise, surely. Blogger @Vincent alluded to the fact that THAT construct is an old model (in Bim and beyond)…. afterall, that was the intent in getting Intel to come here and ‘HQ’ a semi-conductor plant in the region, not so… and the many others lured with the various tax incentives.
And thus back to the start .. this time in French…. just to reinforce that even the Frenchies were saying this eons ago 😎: Plus ça change, plus c’est la même
‘Secretary General’ , eh… sounds fancy tho… sounds like he preparing for a region wide or world union post, yuh!.
Power shennagins … “Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great [and not so great] men [and women] are almost always bad…”
I gone.
@Dee Word here is a brief exchange on Facebook yesterday with a trade unionist the blogmaster has some respect.
https://barbadosunderground.files.wordpress.com/2021/06/bobby-morris.png
The comment was posted to reply to his concern about the shambolic event taking place with the NUPW in the full glare of the public.
See his post – https://www.facebook.com/roberf.morris/posts/794244781261864
Meeting adjourned!
Source: Nation News
Recompense for union leaders?
Source: Nation
Source: Nation
Source: Nation