Pan-Africanist and socialist, David Denny (at centre), with his placard in hand, ready to take part in Tuesday’s march to Parliament.
Prominent Pan-Africanist and socialist David Denny says he has been receiving reports from the vulnerable in society that they are afraid of the impact the National Social Responsibility Levy (NSRL) is going to have on their already difficult lives.
Denny, also a member of the National Union of Public Workers’ (NUPW) National Council, told The Barbados Advocate that he too was worried that while the cost of living in Barbados is set to rise due to the tax, which came into effect on July 1, “I really do not know how people are going to cope”.
“Therefore, the people who speak out for the vulnerable in this country need to fight the battle on behalf of the workers, senior citizens, students, everybody.
“Looking forward, this tax is going to create serious problems, especially for parents preparing to send their children back to school. Therefore, we as socialists and Pan-Africanists need to put pressure on the Government of Barbados to remove this tax,” Denny said.
The activist was one of the hundreds who participated in Tuesday’s march to Parliament, staged by the four major trade unions to protest the controversial NSRL.
The NUPW, the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), the Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU) and the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) are calling for the NSRL, which was moved from two to 10 per cent, to be revoked or adjusted.
Denny said he was standing in solidarity with the unions “because this tax is going to affect the working class in this country”.
“I came out to stand in solidarity with the workers of Barbados who are fighting against this tax. As a Pan-Africanist, a socialist and a trade union activist, I will demonstrate my rights to stand in solidarity with the unions,” he declared. (AH)