#2022Message – Much work still lies ahead

New Year’s Message 2022

From Edwin O’Neal, President, CTUSAB

Comrades and Colleagues, as is to be expected, I wish you peace prosperity and success for the year 2022. The month of January affords us the opportunity to be reflective, forward thinking and anticipatory for what lies before us; but this time is different and special.

In the month of November, 2021, Barbados reached the milestone of its fifty fifth anniversary of Independence, while simultaneously taking our fledgling and tentative steps of becoming a Parliamentary Republic.

Last year at this time, my wishes were for a Barbados that would deepen its agricultural linkages, so as to enable us all to be in a sustained and comprehensive regime of import substitution.

The hope was expressed that there would be a curb placed on bank charges that impacted on the cost of doing business. There was also the expectation that there would be further growth and consolidation of the Credit Union sector.

Finally, there was the hope that there would have been a reduction in the level of crime.

All of the aforementioned are deemed to impact on workers in a very direct way. Unfortunately, these wishes and hopes have not eventuated to the extent that we would have wished.

Conscious of the need for the leadership of our country to address these matters, I am inclined to repeat the same wish list for the year 2022.

We are however heartened that there are signs of a determination to address the matter of the newly added bank charges. It is pleasing that the debate on the subject has now found its way on to the floor of the House of Assembly.

The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados having at the level of the meeting of the Social Partnership raised the matter of the imposition of exorbitant fees being applied by the banking sector, is heartened that Parliament before it was dissolved on 27 December, 2021, had commenced its examination of the issue.

Now that 2022 is upon us, it is my wish for the continued prayerful support of the Barbadian people.

It is important that the labour movement deepens its resolve to have a united front, and to guard against forces that are inimical to organised labour and all that it represents.

The battle for survivability of the labour will be no less intense in 2022 than it was last year.

CTUSAB strongly urges that there remains a firm commitment to collective action, so as to ensure a strong response in representing the interest of Barbadian workers.

As labour looks for a turnaround in the economic fortunes of the country, it is the hope and wish of CTUSAB, that the Barbadian economy would be resuscitated to the point, where growth occurs and new jobs are generated.

At the start of the new year, CTUSAB takes this opportunity to urged the people of the nation to be ever mindful of the continual presence of COVID 19 virus and its variants, and to impress upon all, the need to abide by the established protocols in order to stay safe.

As the nation embarks on the path of electioneering leading to General Elections on 19 January, CTUSAB appeals for the highest level of political decorum to be exhibited by those speaking on political platforms and conducting house to house canvassing.

It also appeals to the electorate and members of the public, to remain calm and resolute, to denounce any acts of bribery and disingenuous behaviour, that would tend to bring the integrity of election process into question.

On behalf of CTUSAB, I extend best wishes for a healthy and prosperous New Year to the people of Barbados.