Education arm of trade unions must seek to improve workers’ skills

THE education arm of trade unions, working in collaboration with government and other private institutions, must seek to improve workers’ skills, competencies and general education.

Principal of the Frank Walcott Labour College, Doreen Deane, suggested the above as she spoke during the opening of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) Regional Youth Seminar held at the college in Mangrove, St. Philip yesterday. Deane stated her view that education and training are key, in achieving the objective of improved conditions for workers, as well as improved productivity.

“Here at Frank Walcott Labour College, we are open to the delivery of programmes that assist workers in gaining or improving their skills, leading to increased efficiencies. This can only complement our current programmes that concentrate on reinforcing the softer skills like leadership, teamwork and conflict resolution. We also aim to inspire relevant attitudes, by encouraging workers to buy into the national development objectives and national goals of Barbados. This is necessary if we are to inculcate in our members, a set of values that lend to maximum use of values, money and time,” the principal stated.

She, meanwhile, observed that “several issues still remain like a stranglehold on workers’ progression”. Some of these issues have been addressed by trade unions, since the inception of trade unionism, yet they persist, she said.

“When this happens, resources have to be transferred from other pressing issues to again reinforce what should by now be considered an industrial relations norm. Recent instances of these throughout the Caribbean are: workers are being fired without an opportunity to be heard; parties not keeping agreements in good faith; the fight to gain recognition in the face of harassment and intimidation; workers fighting to keep jobs in the face of privatisation, including those in the agriculture and sugar industries; the intentional stalling of negotiations and the list goes on,” Deane noted.

“These serve to remind us that the work of the Trade Union movement is as relevant today as it was back in the 18th century. And that is not to say that we have not made tremendous progress, but it serves to remind us that there is need for continual vigilance,” she said. (RSM)