Pandemic presents opportunity for creation of new jobs
COVID-19 has presented an opportunity for the country to fast-track the creation of new jobs and now may be the time for Government to set up its proposed Commission on Jobs Creation.
As Barbadians celebrated a quiet May Day yesterday mainly indoors, General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), Senator Toni Moore, suggested the above, even as she sought to offer “a spring of hope” to workers, in the midst of the ongoing pandemic.
“We support creating an enabling environment for sustainable enterprises that encourages private sector investment and the creation of decent and productive jobs. Employment creation, social protection, rights at work and social dialogue represent integral elements of the agenda for Sustainable Development and Economies. Secure employees performing decent work is one of the crucial aspects that this Union is hinged on and is at the heart of country’s progress towards achieving Sustainable Development Goals,” Moore said.
“In many respects, COVID-19 has not permitted for a just transition to the new forms or methods of work in which we now function. In a whirlwind, today became the future and many have been thrown into unemployment and new working arrangements, including remote working. Transition has been very disruptive for businesses and workers alike, and in most cases unavoidably so. However, such disruption may be best used to re-skill and up-skill for jobs of the future. This therefore means that no time can be spared in setting up the Commission on Jobs Creation, which has been proposed by the Government of Barbados,” she added.
“Recovery will not be sustainable unless jobs are created and maintained. Barbados therefore needs to move swiftly to creating new jobs, and not only replacing those which were lost. COVID-19 has presented an opportunity for us to fast-track the creation of new jobs,” Senator Moore stressed.
She also spoke to the matter of wages and salaries during this time.
“The Executive Council of the BWU recognises that in some instances, positive outcomes in the interest of all of Barbados may necessitate a re-examination of existing wages and conditions for a finite period as we try to ride out this storm.
As a member of the Social Partnership, the BWU stands ready to work together with the Government in guaranteeing food on the table of every single Barbadian household and in the protection of those who are most vulnerable in this pandemic. However, crab-in-the-barrel suggestions of 50% wage cuts, especially where such wage cuts touch the most vulnerable workers, will not be considered as meaningful approaches to address the current situation,” she asserted.
Senator Moore also noted that as urgent as getting businesses up and running again, is the need for health and safety conditions to be reinforced in workplaces. (RSM)