CTUSAB ‘denied place at labour talks table’

The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) is calling on the government to ensure its inclusion on all national boards and committees dealing with workers’ issues, citing recent exclusions as being contrary to tripartite governance.

Speaking to the media on Thursday at the Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) headquarters, CTUSAB President Ryan Phillips expressed deep disappointment that the organisation continues to be left out of critical decision-making spaces, the most recent being the newly announced advisory committee linked to proposed changes to the Minimum Wage Act.

“This is not a minor oversight,” Philips said, “it is a significant breach of the spirit and intention of the tripartite process. CTUSAB must emphatically assert that no committee discussing wage policies, employment standards, labour reform, or socio-economic development can be considered complete or legitimate without proper and meaningful worker representation, and that representation must come from CTUSAB as the duly constituted national body of organised labour.

“CTUSAB is not seeking token involvement, but is demanding that as the national trade union centre, it is engaged in the decision-making process on fundamental matters which affect their daily lives, incomes, workplace rights, and lives and the future of families.”

He underscored that the Congress represents workers across both the public and private sectors and brings to the table not just advocacy, but also research, experience, and constructive solutions. According to Phillips, the exclusion of CTUSAB risks undermining the very foundations of tripartism in Barbados.

He said, “Representation cannot be selective, conditional, or politically convenient. It must be institutional, structured, and consistent. CTUSAB cannot be faulted on the depth of expertise and perspectives which it brings, which go well beyond advocacy.”

In the light of their concerns, CTUSAB urged the government to immediately review the composition of all relevant national boards and committees and to ensure the organisation is granted the authority to nominate or appoint its representatives.

“CTUSAB calls on the government of Barbados to immediately review the composition of all national boards and committees that touch and concern labour and workers’ welfare,” he said.

“Additionally, to ensure that CTUSAB is invited to nominate or select its representatives on all such committees, especially where decisions are being made in relation to wage policy, labour reform, safety and health, productivity, and social protection. Finally, to affirm the principles of the tripartite agreement and Social Partnership, by respecting the institutional place of CTUSAB as the voice of workers in national decision-making.”

Philips added, “CTUSAB remains committed to dialogue, national development, and the building of a resilient and just society. But let us be clear: participation must be real, not rhetorical. Inclusion must be guaranteed and not granted in fragments. CTUSAB stands ready to serve and to contribute responsibly, intelligently, and faithfully to the work of shaping a better future for all Barbadians, especially those who work hard each day to sustain our economy and society.”
(SB)