Trade unions preparing to march on Parliament

LOCAL trade unions are putting plans in place to march on Parliament next Tuesday to show Government and the Opposition Barbados Labour Party (BLP), how serious they are about their demands for the onerous ten per cent National Social Responsibility Levy (NSRL) which took effect on July 1, to be revoked, or adjusted.

The decision to stage the march was taken on Thursday evening, at a joint meeting of shop stewards from the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), the Barbados Union of Teacshers (BUT), the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) and the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU), at Solidarity House. The meeting started just after five pm and lasted for about two hours.

BSTU President Mary Redman said Tuesday’s march, which will start at Queen’s Park, and head to Parliament Building, where there will be a symbolic delivery of letters to Prime Minister Freundel Stuart and Opposition Leader Mia Mottley, and the two Independent Members of Parliament, is just the first phase of “the plans we have put in place to create circumstances whereby Government may seek to reconsider the draconian measures of their latest budget”.

“As we deliver those letters, we will be joined by our membership who will accompany us from Queen’s Park as we walk towards Parliament Building, to deliver the correspondence. Members of the public are of course invited to join the combined walk and to add their voices and their bodies, to this process, since what we are trying to achieve here, is something that will affect all members of the Barbadian public,” Redman said.

“The taxation measures, some of which have already been imposed by Government, affect not just members of our combined unions, but every single consumer in this country,” she added.

Redman said, though follow-up actions have already been outlined to shop stewards, and how, when and where the actions will take place, the unions were not at liberty to discuss them with the media, “because we really do have to strategically plan further and finalise exactly how we are going to do, what we are going to do”.

However, the BSTU President said, following the delivery of the correspondence next Tuesday, the unions expect to receive, a timely, reasonable and caring response from Government and “at the end of the time period, if we do not get the type of response that we are hoping for, then we will up de thing!”

“Common sense and caring are what we are hoping to achieve as a response from Government…” Redman said. (AH)