Call for change: CTUSAB wants ‘sustainable jobs’ to tackle crime, joblessness

The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) on Tuesday urged a renewed focus on sustainable and fair employment opportunities for all citizens to combat rises in crime and the cost of living.

CTUSAB General Secretary Dennis de Peiza told journalists the trade union congress was concerned about the links between unemployment, underemployment, and the rise in violent crimes, despite official statistics that put the unemployment rate at seven per cent.

De Peiza questioned whether this figure reflects the true picture, especially among young people. He highlighted the prevalence of temporary, short-term, or casual work among youth, often coupled with substandard wages that fail to meet the standards of decent work.

He said: “It would appear that many young persons are not employed, or are employed on a temporary or short-term basis, or engaged in casual work.

“Moreover, the fact that they are paid substandard wages falls far from what is acceptable under the provision of decent work, and therefore jobs on offer may not appear to be attractive to this age group. If this is what prevails, then it is more than likely a real contributing factor to the social deviance and criminal activity which is being experienced.”

He added: “CTUSAB suggests that at this time, there is a call to action on the part of the government and the private sector, to see the creation of sustainable and secure jobs as a priority. Getting young persons off the block and being productive in society must be seen as a means to arrest the problem of social deviance and the associated crime and violence.”

De Peiza called on the government and private sector to prioritise the creation of sustainable, secure jobs as a strategy to combat youth unemployment and its associated social challenges.

He stressed the importance of delivering on promises for upcoming projects and ensuring they create meaningful employment opportunities for Barbadians. De Peiza warned against the growing trend of importing labour under the pretext that locals are unfit for certain jobs.

The CTUSAB general secretary continued: “A lot of the plans and promises of projects to come on stream, we have to ensure that those things happen. But when we do that, we have to make sure that there are jobs for Barbadians. This whole thing of importing a whole lot of people from all over the place… it seems to me that we always want to import workers and claim that there are no Barbadians fit for the job. If we start that practice, then we are going to have a problem.”

He stressed that there was a need to rethink investment strategies, moving beyond high-rise apartments and condominiums, which create minimal employment opportunities.

De Peiza said: “I must admit that there are a lot of opportunities for different types of investment to happen in Barbados. We look around, and we do not seem to believe that unless we have some big establishment, that there is nothing happening. There are things that can be created, but they need the necessary funding.

“The whole approach by the government and the private sector to how we will build out the economy has to change. It cannot be just building high-rise apartments and condominiums where there is no need for a high level of employment. We need to have continuous employment and move away from short-term hiring to sustainable levels of employment which would make a difference to the employment levels in our country.”