Retrenchment programme not fair to Barbadian workers

There is concern being raised that labour is being disproportionately affected as Government seeks to rightsize the economy.

Speaking last Friday during a press conference at the headquarters of the Barbados Union of Teachers in Welches, St. Michael, President of Congress of Trade Union and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) Edwin O’Neal said that the trade union movement as it looks at the retrenchment of workers under the Barbados Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) Programme, cannot help but feel that labour is mostly affected.

“The urging is that all hands be put to the plough to help save Barbados, so labour is the first body that feels the retrenchment. The labour component is paying the Health Service Levy. It is the work that is now paying for fuel with an increased deduction, I think the last figure was 40 cents per litre. It is the worker that is now feeling the effects of the upper band of the income tax, up to 40 per cent. It is the worker in their households who are paying the sewage and water tax. Now all of these are deductions, all of these are inflictions that have been put on labour to rightsize the Barbadian economy,” he said.

O’Neal also expressed concern that while labour is being negatively targeted in the BERT programme, the private sector is being offered concessions, which he said are not immediately going to be felt by the consuming public. Making reference to the recent announcement of the lowering of the rate of corporation tax from next year, he maintained that it is unfortunate that the private sector says it will take some time for the effects of that move to be of benefit to consumers.

“We are aware of the promises of more job opportunities in time. Now given the significant dislocation in the labour market, should we have a society not put the private sector in a position to start absorbing this labour which is falling into the pool as a consequence of retrenchment, as opposed to having this labour having to feel some pain, having to endure some uncertainty, having to endure this dislocation until such time as the private sector determines that they are ready to start employing?” he queried.

The CTUSAB President added, “What I think is lacking in this entire exercise is the stimulus and challenge to begin this economic growth, so that surplus labour from the downsizing starts to get opportunities rather than be traumatised during this period of uncertainty.”

O’Neal is proposing that Government needs to work to ensure that there is a “seamless transfer” from employment to retrenchment and to re-employment in the private sector.

“I don’t think it is beyond the creativity of the planners to have foreseen and to have planned for this exercise,” he said. (JRT)

Barbados Advocate

Mailing Address:
Advocate Publishers (2000) Inc
Fontabelle, St. Michael, Barbados

Phone: (246) 467-2000
Fax: (246) 434-2020 / (246) 434-1000