NUPW on board with cushion for vulnerable

The island’s largest public-sector trade union has thrown its weight behind a Government initiative to help 1 000 of the country’s most vulnerable families cope with the increasing cost of living.

News of the lifeline was revealed five days ago by Prime  Minister Mia Mottley ahead of a meeting with the Social Partnership at which the initiative was to be fleshed out.

She promised to maintain the Government’s assistance to Barbadians in relation to food security.

And on Friday, President of the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) Kimberley Agard, who attended the Social Partnership meeting, said the proposed initiative was music to her ears.

“Based on the presentation to the meeting on that, we support that initiative because it is trying to move people away from the welfare mindset and more so to empowerment. It is not a thousand people, but a thousand families,” Agard told Barbados TODAY.

“They are going to begin with the families as a whole so that the house can sustain itself, rather than only one person in the household getting the help.

“We are comfortable, somewhat, with what we saw relative to that new programme and hope that based on the projections, that it is a success,” the NUPW leader added.

The trade unionist believes if the initiative is successful, it would benefit the country as a whole.

“Persons would [therefore] be a little less dependent on the state,” she added.

Meanwhile, the union boss said the NUPW has asked the Government for more information on its proposal to place a tax cap on commodities and its planned review of the basket of goods.

“We want more information as to how the Government intends to tackle it, then we would give our input. So, we agreed to more dialogue with the intention that some level of ease would be given to workers, primarily, but to the country in some way,” Agard declared.

She also disclosed that a number of sub-committees of the Social Partnership were established to carry out certain tasks in areas such as inflation and food security, and deadlines were established.

“I think this is supposed to be done within another month to six weeks,” Agard said.

In her interaction with the media, Prime Minister Mottley had said: “We are looking at a few other things to see how we can continue to cushion. But . . . even if I do a few more, I cannot shield you, the Government cannot shield you, from the full impact of a world that has gone mad.”

Mottley called on Barbadians to “cut and contrive” and engage in “behaviour modification” to deal with rising prices, and possibly a scarcity of some products, both here and abroad.

She also said the Government will be coming to Barbadians urging them to come together to help feed the 1 000 most vulnerable families. (EJ)