HR expert raises concern about growing industrial relations turmoil

Increasing industrial unrest over the past three weeks is of major concern for President of the Human Resources Management Association of Barbados (HRMAB) Brittany Brathwaite, who is calling for cooler heads to prevail.

Brathwaite told Barbados TODAY it was critical that employers provide more timely information to workers and that employees better utilise communication structures within their organisations to have their concerns addressed.

“Generally, it is concerning to see this level of industrial unrest not just as the president of HRMAB, but as a citizen,” said Brathwaite.

“I think the next steps really, and the constant focus has to be around how we improve it from both sides – both from the employer and the employee – how employers continue to open and create communication channels, facilitate discussions even when there isn’t anything new to be said. I think that has been probably the bigger issue that very often a lot of employers are thrown into situations where they are making decisions based on information that their staff members are hearing at the same time as them.

“The decision-making process timeline is difficult because employees expect to hear something as immediate as possible and employers have to take time to make those decisions. Even if you have to tell persons ‘give us a week or a holding period’, that is something that you do. Let them know what is going on every step of the way and keep those communication lines open,” she explained.

“But employees also, where those lines are open and the mediums of communications are being facilitated, participate, ask questions in those forums and really get to understand what is happening, not just in your industry, but in your specific case,” she added.

Over the past couple of weeks, Barbados has been gripped by protest action in the tourism industry, where several former hotel employees have been demanding immediate payment for severance.

There has also been growing unease in the labour climate in the security and construction industries, with security workers demanding better working conditions.

In the case of former hotel workers, Government has so far stepped in to either quell concerns, which have resulted in the employer paying outstanding severance, or promising to pay and then go after the hoteliers to recoup those payments.

Brathwaite told Barbados TODAY she was satisfied that Government was playing as best a role it could in the current circumstances.

“In every circumstance it differs so it is not every case the Government would say we are going to pay the severance. But I do, from a practical point of view, believe that the Government, through its offices, is doing the best it can to help pacify the industrial unrest and also to help those persons who are in situations stemming from termination or severance,” she said.

“To say the expectation would be that Government covers every single situation where there may be an inability of the company to do so, is not something that may be fair and we still have to be fair that we just came off an expensive period of layoffs in many industries, but ultimately the Government will, of course, make their decisions as each case arises,” she explained.

The regional consultant agreed it was necessary for both employers and employees to familiarise themselves with employment and termination processes. “We have to be careful that we are not creating situations based on our assumptions but on what the facts, processes and impediments in that process may be,” she said.

Stressing that every case would differ and each circumstance would require a different response, the human resource practitioner said what was certain is that there needs to be a resolution.

“It is a point for self-reflection for every person involved in all of these pieces of unrest to really look at whether we are focusing on the differences or whether we are focusing on actually getting a resolution. Are we sticking to positions or are we looking at where we can meet in the middle – because if we are all standing on opposite sides of the decisions then the state of flux will continue,” she warned.

Meanwhile, in its recent assessment of the industrial relations climate, the Barbados Employers’ Confederation (BEC) said the increased activity could be directly linked to “both employers and employees struggling under the weight of the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic”.

Pointing out that the BEC has been successful in helping several companies to settle industrial relation issues without any industrial activity, Executive Director of the BEC Sheena Mayers-Granville called for greater collaboration in labour management relations.

She said there were several key considerations that applied to the current industrial relations climate including the fact that the tourism industry was severely impacted by the pandemic and lockdowns in key source markets, forcing them to make the difficult decision to lay-off staff.

“Many employers have also been trying creative ways to remain open only to be met with unforeseen hurdles and therefore forced to make the difficult decision to terminate staff,” the BEC said in its assessment.

The BEC also pointed out that accessing severance payments from the National Insurance Scheme could take time since there was a set process to be followed.

Stating that she empathised with workers who were awaiting severance payments, Mayers-Granville called for effective communication between employees and employers, supported by “realistic expectations on both sides” in order to settle disputes with minimum acrimony.

“Employers are therefore encouraged to inform employees at the earliest possible opportunity when it becomes apparent that it will not be possible to maintain existing employment levels and reach out to NIS for assistance where necessary.

“Employers must maintain communication with employees on matters that affect their employment and therefore their ability to meet their commitments. Where employees are unsure about benefits or rights, there are various institutions that can assist them including the labour department or trade union,” she explained. (marlonmadden@barbadostoday.bb)