Public workers celebrated, challenged to stay resilient

A clergy member has issued sage advice to the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) during the commencement of celebrations marking Public Workers’ Week.

Reverend Dr. Adrian Smith said it cannot be business as usual nor can it be about personal agendas.

“It must be about the future of a union where there are forces outside and within seeking to dismantle the very foundation of the union,” he said. “There is a legacy future that lies ahead of you. Now, what you do at the end of this week is not for you, but for the generations to come.”

The reverend was addressing a church service at the Calvary Moravian Church, Roebuck Street, Bridgetown, on Sunday as part of the weeklong celebration. This theme is Innovation and Resilience: Empowering the Public Worker for a Sustainable Future.

He praised public workers who perform their jobs credibly, sometimes with limited resources.

“Not all public workers are lazy, don’t want to work, rude, and inefficient, but there are those who do an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay. There are those who take little resources and continue to produce a tremendous amount, given limited resources.”

The clergyman also underscored the importance of the celebrations, stating, “I believe there is a genuineness in marking Public Workers’ Week to not just talk a talk, but to celebrate, motivate, inspire, and encourage those under the umbrella of respective unions, and in particular, the National Union of Public Workers, to continue to do a good job.”

NUPW President Kimberley Agard

During the service, NUPW President, Kimberley Agard, reaffirmed the union’s commitment to public workers. She said  though there were trying times during the 81 years of the union’s existence, it pulled through with the support of the workers.

“The success of the union does not rely solely on the leadership, but leadership takes guidance from the membership, and so the active participation of each and every member ensures the survival of the union.”

Activities during the week include a seminar, an event hosted by retirees, a karaoke night, and an after-work lime. The highly anticipated annual conference is scheduled to take place on Saturday.

Elections for the new executive will be conducted on April 2nd. (STT)