Chamber predicts layoff chain

The business community is forecasting a domino effect for layoffs due to the extended shutdown which concludes at month-end.

President of the Barbados Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) Trisha Tannis said today that she expects more companies to follow those which had already laid off workers at the beginning of the lockdown.

“We have been warning that this is something that was an issue bearing in mind that this is the second lockdown in less than a year and companies are already significantly compromised and there is not a lot more that can be done at this stage,” Tannis told Barbados TODAY.

“I am hoping that the fallout is not too significant, but it can be,” she declared.

She was speaking against the backdrop of her company Unicomer Courts being the latest to layoff its employees.

However, Tannis, who is managing director of Courts Barbados, explained that the layoffs would only be for the rest of the lockdown.

“The truth is, we still paid persons for the two weeks even when we were closed while other companies laid off immediately. There are companies which already laid off from the beginning of the lockdown. Unicomer was still paying full salaries while being closed on top of paying them for the entire month of April last year when we were closed,” she stated.

And Chairman of the Barbados Private Sector Association (BPSA) Edward Clarke echoed Tannis’ prediction with regard to further layoffs in the country as a result of the shutdown.

“I have been saying all along something has got to give… unfortunately this is the start,” Clarke told Barbados TODAY.

Asked specifically if he expected more people to be sent home the private sector spokesman replied: “I hope not, but the reality is that things are really bad in the marketplace and we are all feeling the pinch…so I am sure that is one of the outcomes already. It is earlier than I expected, but I think we will hear some more especially among the smaller business sector.”

“A month is a very long time after last year. You know last year was a long, hard, difficult year for many, many businesses, small and large. I am not surprised to hear that people have been laid off,” Clarke said.

He once again appealed to residents to stay home and take the opportunity to assist in ridding the country of the virus.

“It is a matter of keeping people at home. It is more of a stay-at-home and getting people to lockdown and do what they are supposed to do. Hopefully, Barbadians will listen. There are a lot of things we can do around our homes. Barbados is in a very untidy state. Hopefully, many of us can clean around our homes and do something for the good of the environment and rid ourselves of the dengue,” the private sector association leader suggested. (emmanueljoseph@barbadostoday.bb)