General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) Toni Moore has chastised some players in the tourism and hotel industry for rolling back the rights of workers in the name of economic growth.
Making her contribution to the Budget debate virtually in the House of Assembly on Wednesday, the Member of Parliament for St George North said that while many in the industry highlight the impressive growth in visitor arrivals over the last several months, there were some worrying trends in the industry.
“While we may be using economic benchmarks to say . . . that sector has taken us back to pre-COVID 19 times, I hasten to add that that is just a quantitative and economic measure because in real terms, workers across the tourism sector, particularly in the hotels, have been seeing a repealing of the conditions of work that they enjoy,” the trade unionist said.
Among the conditions putting workers “further back”, she said, are “being put into three- and six-month contracts, probation periods being expanded up to six months, workers not being afforded a staunch day, few rights and fewer job securities if you barely object to anything in a hotel”.
Moore was adamant that while economic gains were welcomed, employers who exploit workers in the pursuit of growth targets should not be allowed to slide.
“At a time in 2023 when we are talking about growing, we cannot expect that growth will be allowed to take place on the backs of poor, working people. In the same way that we are laying out those conditions to prescribe how those waiting for contracts must function, we want to lay out prescriptions that the sector that is earning off of the blood, sweat and tears of workers in the tourism industry, in the hotel industry, that it gives back, and where it refuses to give back, that we also examine the granting of concessions.
“Those offenders within the hotel sector that I look forward to meeting soon would know where my heart is coming from as I enter on behalf of workers. Workers’ rights must not be at the expense of any attempts at growth in this country,” Moore insisted.
“I encourage workers that where we are working for growth in the economy, to make sure that that growth is commensurate with improvements in your lot, improvements in your wellbeing. You must be willing to not renege on the fight.”
