EDITORIAL - Don’t let your guard down

AT a time when entitlements and other freedoms gained by Barbadian workers are coming under the microscope, it was a timely move by Trade Unionist Ms. Toni Moore to caution Barbadians not to down their guards as far as these issues are concerned.

Ms. Moore, who is the General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), spoke last week during the official launch of the 2018 May Day Season. She cautioned that every freedom that people here have gained, has been won by the blood, sweat and tears not only of past leaders, but by the mass of workers who stood by their leaders.

It is important to note that her comments were made around the time the Heroes’ Day (April 28) celebrations were also taking place. This was significant in that attention was paid to those of our National Heroes who would have paved the way for what was to follow the post-1937 period, when important pieces of social legislation were drafted, and the BWU was formed.

In the radio clips highlighting the work of the National Heroes, and more particularly those of the 20th century, emphasis was placed on their roles in agitating for the rights of workers and to have better social conditions across all areas of Barbadian life.

It is noted that societies which have been built out of the struggles against social inequalities and injustices have tended over a period of time not to cherish the gains. With the emergence of new generations of people, those struggles tend to fade into the background and persons become complacent, not recognising that the gains can be put to the test and eroded, as the General Secretary hinted.

These days, it is very common to hear commentators take issue with free education, subsidies, and many of the other entitlements which were designed over the course of several years to help uplift Barbadians. The position of these commentators is that the country is in no position to afford them. In addition, the world has undergone significant changes where globalisation, the integration of markets and economies have taken root, and with that many negative features of it have come to the fore. Under this new dispensation trade unionism is seen as a threat to Multinational Corporation (MNCs), and foreign direct investments.

In fact, it is known that countries with strong trade unions and workers’ rights are at times sidelined by investors in search of places to locate their investments, while paying dirt cheap wages, and having employees working long hours. There are governments that go along with this on the grounds that employment is being created.

Trade liberalisation, which is also a component of globalisation, dictates that countries must open their markets to competing imports from bigger countries, without recognition that domestic industries can be affected by competition and the eventual job losses. With the market mechanism very much in place, it can be a case where there are demands for employees to ignore certain workplace principles.

It is expected that tomorrow’s Labour Day programme will hear about these things and people must be encouraged to guard against the erosion of their rights. As such, people of today must not lose sight of those gains achieved seven decades ago and should be positioned to defend them.