No to pay cuts

Unions representing workers in the public and private sector appear unanimously opposed to salary cuts for workers whose jobs have so far survived the economic fallout of COVID-19. They are also adamant that retrenchment should be a last resort.

The general secretaries of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), Unity Workers Union (UWU) and the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) have dismissed such suggestions made recently by local businessman Andrew Bynoe that salaries may have to be slashed by 50 per cent. Similar suggestions have been made by other business leaders in the region.

On the contrary, they contend that even the slightest salary adjustments would crush some low wage frontline workers and warned that alterations to contracts of employment should only occur after extensive negotiations.

Caswell Franklyn of UWU expressed frustration at an apparent lack of “serious analysis” on issues affecting workers and warned employers against using the COVID-19 crisis to achieve their own selfish ends.

Pointing to gas station attendants, supermarket employees and shop assistants, Franklyn declared: “Right now many people cannot survive on full pay. Some of these people are making just over $250 a week and they will not be able to work on $125. If those people must pay bus fare to get to work, some of them will be paying more than half of their pay in bus fare alone.

“Many don’t realise how badly people at the bottom are really treated in terms of salary. We still have shop assistants and gas station workers who don’t have a decent wage,” he told Barbados TODAY.

While acknowledging that some workers may be able to take cuts, the veteran trade unionist stressed that changes to employment contracts should only be made after negotiations with employers. Reduced working hours is also an option which could be con sidered.

“Many workers are currently being paid a pittance. If you want to survive and live big while paying people pittance, then your company shouldn’t survive,” he added.

Last Friday on national radio, Managing Director of Carlton and A1 Supermarkets, Andrew Bynoe predicted that workers who escaped retrenchment could well be forced to accept just 50 per cent of their current earnings.

But BWU General Secretary Senator Toni Moore declared that such measures simply do not make sense. Instead, Moore is calling for the economic burden of COVID-19 to be equitably shared in the same way it was shared during the rollout of Barbados’ Economic Recovery and Transformation (BERT) programme.

“The BWU will not be party to any discussions to facilitate approaches that keep some rich while hastening the race to the bottom for the poor. Wages cannot be allowed to slide below levels which enable workers to participate meaningfully in society and ergo, any recommendations by the Executive Council on these matters can only be offered upon the analysis of clear and complete information,” she said in a statement obtained by Barbados TODAY.

“Be assured, however, that the BWU will not support any position which says to the family barely surviving on ‘a pack of biscuits’ that it now must live on ‘half pack’, she  added.

While acknowledging that crisis situations may necessitate new wage agreements, Moore stressed that low-wage frontline workers should be shielded from the economic impact and new arrangements must not be arbitrary.

Toni Moore

During an Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) forum, Caribbean businesses were told that they should retain employees at reduced salaries instead of laying off workers.

When asked for a position on the potential challenges facing Government, Acting General Secretary of the NUPW, Delcia Burke told Barbados TODAY the subject was not discussed among the union’s executive council or at the level of the social partnership.

But she stressed that laws enacted under an Owen Arthur Government in the 90s prohibit salary cuts but acknowledged that the Mia Mottley administration with 29 seats in parliament would be able to change this.

Burke nevertheless stressed that alternative options ought to be examined first.

“I think they should examine other ways of cutting expenditure rather than just jumping to slash the workers’ salaries. Many times, people are working from pay cheque to pay cheque and are barely managing to pay mortgages, take care of their children and things like that,” she said.
kareemsmith@barbadostoday.bb