Tag Archives: Trevor Browne

Follow the Witnesses Trevor Browne!

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The following was posted to the Unionists BEWARE! blog on the 8the December 2018.

Caswell Franklyn
A prison officer was caught stealing diesel from the prison. He is now suspended pending his own trial and now he is one of the persons accusing Browne of maliciously endeavouring him away from his duty. Another is a female prison officer who married a former inmate. Her case is pending for years. It is a dismissible offence for a prison officer to associate with former prisoners.

At present, I do not know what the prison authorities have holding over the heads of the other two but I am certain that they did not report this matter of their own free will.

Browne is charged for allegedly inciting prison officers away from their duty. But why is no one being charged for impregnating a Jamaican prisoner. I suppose that the woman, now safely back in Jamaica, would keep quiet while the blackmail money continues to flow.

Wade Gibbons
Wade Gibbons Caswell Franklyn I remember the prison officer ‘lady’ very well….covered that situation years ago when she got impregnated by an inmate, married him on his release from jail, all contrary to the Prison Act, and still kept her job. She is not a credible witness and if the others are cut from the same cloth Browne has nothing to worry about. Apart from being Judases, this must be their way of currying favour from the authorities to remain in the system. And then Bajans have to be subjected to people in suits sitting down around a table in parliament [remove yourself from that bogus gathering, CF] on some select committee talking cnut about corruption in Barbados. Lilliput is alive and well!

Although the blogmaster is pleased to read of Trevor Browne release from prison on $1,000.00 bail the circumstances surrounding his incarceration remains a concern. His matter was adjourned until 18 February. Something smells rotten in Denmark. This is a brief comment is to remind all parties- including the DPP and AG- that Barbados is a nation of laws!

Related blog:

Prison Officers Leave CTUSAB

Prison Officers Leave CTUSAB

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CASWELL FRANKLYN

Trading as

VERITAS SERVICES

Upstairs Worrell House

Whitepark Road

St. Michael

PRESS STATEMENT

As the Industrial Relations Consultant to the Prison Officers Association (The Association) I have been authorised by the Executive of the Association to issue the following statement:

Prior to 1982 prison officers enjoyed the constitutional right to belong to a trade union of their choice, and as a matter of fact there was a prison officers division of the National Union of Public Workers. In that year an amendment to the Prisons Act provided for the establishment of the Prison Officers Association.

As a result of that amendment, prison officers lost their constitutionally guaranteed right to belong to a trade union. Section 24A of the Prison Act states:

24A.(1) There shall be established an Association to be known as “the Prison Officers Association”.

(2) The purpose of the Association is to enable prison officers to bring to the attention of the Superintendent, the Board and the Minister matters affecting the welfare and efficiency of prison officers.

(3) No representation may be made by the Prison Officers Association in relation to any question of discipline, promotion, transfer, posting, leave or other matter that affects an individual member of the Association.

(4) The Prison Officers Association shall be independent of, and unassociated with, any association outside the Service, other than similar Associations in and for Anguilla, Antigua, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Christopher and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent or Trinidad and Tobago.

Further, at section 24C the amendment goes on to prohibit a prison officer from becoming a member of unauthorised associations. Interestingly, among other things, subsection (5) defines “unauthorised associations” to mean a trade union as defined in section 2 of the Trade Unions Act.

Notwithstanding this prohibition, since 1992 the Government of Barbados has allowed the Association to become a member of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB), and by so doing, the Government has allowed prison officers to freely associate with trade unions and become part of the much vaunted Social Partnership. In addition, management of the prison has facilitated the Association’s membership in CTUSAB by granting officers time off to attend trade union activity.

The President of the Association Mr. Trevor Browne, even though maintaining his innocence, has been charged with essentially carrying out the functions normally associated with a trade union leader.

In order to protect its members from any further criminal charges arising from its association with trade unions or anything that is likely to be interpreted as trade union activity, the Prison Officers Association has terminated its membership in CTUSAB, until such time as the 1982 amendments to the Prisons Act are repealed by Parliament or struck down by the High Court.

CASWELL FRANKLYN

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS CONSULTANT

Unionists BEWARE!

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The following was submitted as a letter to Barbados Underground – David, blogmaster

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist…

–Martin Niemoller

The criminal charges laid against Mr Trevor Browne, the President of the Prison Officers Association for inciting four other prison officers to desert their jobs, would appear to implicate the international labour law concept of freedom of association as applied by the International Labour Organization in Convention No 87, to which we have been a state party since 1967.

Mr Browne is, of course, not immune from prosecution for alleged infringements of the law. International labour law clearly recognize this in its holding that “although holders of trade union office do not, by virtue of their position, have the right to transgress legal provisions in force, these provisions should not infringe the basic guarantees of freedom of association, nor should they sanction activities which, in accordance with the principles of freedom of association, should be considered as legitimate trade union activities.”

It is also recognized that “in cases involving the arrest, detention or sentencing of a trade union official, the Committee [on Freedom of Association]…has considered that it was incumbent upon the government to show that the measures were in no way occasioned by the trade union activities of the individual concerned.”

It is of further interest to note that section 8A of our Trade Unions Act, Cap 361, removes civil liability for the now impugned act if it is done in furtherance of a trade dispute-

An Act (sic) done after 18th November, 1974 by a person in contemplation or furtherance of a trade dispute shall not be actionable in tort on the ground only

  1. that it induces another person to break a contract to which that other person is a party or prevents another person from performing such a contract…

Potentially, this prosecution fundamentally restricts the freedom of association enjoyed by the prison officers, even in the absence of legislation making it an essential service.

Lt. Col Trevor Browne States Why He Is Qualified To Be President of the Barbados Olympic Association

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Lt. Col Trevor T Browne

My attention has been drawn to your excellent new era medium and in particular to your articles on the upcoming elections at the Barbados Olympic Association. As you correctly indicate, I am a candidate for the position of President, as is Mr. Steve Stoute who has held that post for the past 16 years.

I wanted to take the opportunity to explain that mine is not at all a negative campaign against the incumbent. Indeed I have nothing but the utmost respect and admiration for Mr. Stoute – who has contributed a large part of his adult life to the service of sport.

My interest is in moving local sport to the point where it can realize its true potential as a National Developmental Tool, and where the unquestionable talents of our youth can be harnessed for their own personal benefit, and for the national good. All the basic requirements are in place for sport to be a major success story in Barbados.

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Time To Dump Dead Weights Leaders – Jones, Stoute… Frundy?

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Submitted by Charles Atlas

Steve Stoute, President BOA , Ronald Jones, President BFA, PM Fruendel Stuart

What is really wrong with Barbadians? There must be some kind of curse hanging over our heads. How else can we explain the proliferation of such mediocre leadership in so many areas of national life? Why does Ronald Jones think that he should impose himself on Barbados football for another four years? The sport has fallen into chaos – with falling rankings, a reputation for violence and hooliganism, low standards, and accusations of bribery under his watch. Even in his other conflicting national role he has shown his total inability to lead – best exemplified with the Alexandra affair.

In any other civilized country Jones would claim ‘personal reasons, medical reasons or just plain tiredness’ – and step aside to allow someone else to make an effort to turn things around. It is not as though there are no alternatives…. Randy Harris has shown himself to be more than capable of doing a better job in this position. One can only assume that Jones is hooked on the personal perks of the position and cares nothing about the success of football.

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The Race Is On For Top Positions At The Barbados Olympic Association

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Trevor Browne, Craig Archer, Steve Stoute, Erskine Simmons (l-r)

The news that two sitting Directors of the Board of the Barbados Olympic Association (BOA) have decided to challenge entrenched incumbents Steve Stoute (president)  and (secretary general) is good news. The pace of change in todays world mandates that we infused the leadership of any organization that wants to remain relevant with new blood.

Steve Stoute has served as president for 16 years and before that as secretary general since 1968! Erskine Simmons has been a director since 1986 and gained the post of secretary general in 1996. It should be noted Erskine is the nephew of Michael Simmons who was the founding secretary general of the BOA in the 80s. A little legacy has developed it seems.

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