General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), Toni Moore in talks with workers from the Bridgetown Port, who were off the job yesterday.
Reports are that some public sector workers heeded calls by a coalition of four workers’ unions, to escalate industrial action across the country yesterday.
The protest action took the form of a sick-out as well as a go-slow amongst some workers in certain sections of the public sector. Reports are that there was also a full-blown strike at the Bridgetown Port, as workers came off the job, though it was noted that there were two matters being addressed all at once at that facility in relation to the industrial action. It was also noted that some workers of the Transport Board had also called in sick, though that entity was still up and running throughout the day. In other areas of the public sector, personnel were being reallocated, to meet staff shortages.
Earlier this week, The Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT), National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) and Barbados Secondary Teachers Union (BSTU), jointly called on “all union members and other Barbadians who care about the direction in which this country is going”, to join with them in protest action, given that the Unions were apparently successful in obtaining a hearing with Prime Minister of Barbados, The Rt. Hon. Freundel Stuart, within the stipulated time frame given by them following their Walk For Relief initiative held last week.
The Unions are demanding a reprieve from the austerity measures announced in this year’s Budget, namely the National Social Responsibility Levy (NSRL), which was increased from two per cent to ten per cent, commencing from July 1st. They have promised that they will “Up de Ting” (step up protect action) on a phased basis, if government does not give consideration to their demands.
The top four trade unions, headed by Toni Moore (BWU), Akanni McDowall (NUPW), Mary Redman (BSTU) and Pedro Shepherd (BUT) have been keeping details about the industrial action close to their chests, but their members have been notified via social media of the call for sick out action, which was planned for yesterday and today as well, in another bid to send a message to government, of the need to meet with the Unions, to grant relief from the NSRL and heavy austerity measures.
Toni Moore, General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), the island’s largest workers’ representative body, has meanwhile expressed her hope that the Unions and government would be able to “just sit down and talk through matters”, so as to bring a positive outcome to the matter.
After Moore and BWU reps met with Port officials, workers were back on the job as of yesterday afternoon, as those matters were seemingly resolved. However, a wait and see approach will be needed today, to see how any further industrial action plays out, across the country.