On this May Day, The National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) calls on authorities to provide more information on the planned reform of State-owned enterprises, insisting there must be widespread consultations with public officers.
The union also remains concerned about the number of sick buildings and their impact on the health of workers, the high cost of living, and the changing labour market. It has assured members that it will continue to defend their fundamental rights.
Below is the full text of the NUPW’s May Day Message:
“The public service must be more than doing a job efficiently and honestly. It must be a complete dedication to the people and to the nation.”
This quotation from former US Senator Margaret Chase Smith embodies the resolve that is required to be a public officer. The Public Service, an institution that has stood the test of time has often been easily taken for granted.
The socioeconomic success of Barbados makes it easy to think that our strong public institutions which exist since independence, will always be around and in the form that they were first created. The NUPW recognises that some of the proposed changes are required, however, the challenge of collective workers in the public service is to be proactive and fully engaged in these processes, enough to preserve earned entitlements and guarantee improved terms and conditions of service.
It is our public institutions that are key pillars of our way of life. They are the reason[s] this country remains unbroken, decade after decade, and able to withstand the high winds of recession, economic downturn, social unrest and more recently health crises. The work [of] our public officers has been, and continues to be, the brick and mortar that holds our society together.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, resilience, dedication and innovation of the public sector came to the fore, as public workers demonstrated the type of commitment and sacrifice that made us proud. Heroes, we called them. Our workers were responsible for the continuation of the Barbadian way of life, the preservation of its systems of governance and administration, many times at great personal cost.
However, as we celebrate Labour Day, our mission is not one of focusing on the past, but rather looking to the future. A future where workers derive full utility from their efforts.
For 80 years the National Union of Public Workers has stood shoulder to shoulder with the workers in the Public Service. NUPW as an evolving Union, has through its history made the necessary changes to lead in the pursuit of the advancement of public workers and labour. We trust that leadership, and we trust our members will respond with courage, tenacity and honesty when called upon to inspire a new generation of Public Officers.
As we face this new dawn, we stand unswervingly against the compromise of the fundamental rights of workers. In fact, this uncompromising principle must endure regardless of how our institutions are redesigned or reimagined.
It therefore remains critical that current challenges which potentially compromise this fundamental principle, are addressed with greater urgency. The longstanding proliferation of sick buildings which continue to put at risk worker[s’] health and safety, must be corrected with greater alacrity.
As the bargaining agent for public workers, the NUPW expresses its dissatisfaction with the flow of information on the reform and transitioning of State-Owned Enterprises. This situation only serves to exacerbate the anxiety of workers, as they work under clouds of uncertainty. Public Officers demand the broadest consultation on any matter that has import on their future.
The cost of living continues to erode living wage standards for all workers. Our constituents in the public sector are by no means insulated from this problem. This Union holds the view that to feed, clothe and house a family by right, must fall within the ability of the common man and that healthcare of a high quality is affordable and accessible to all.
The NUPW is a proponent of life-long membership and we are advising our members that the traditional preparation for life after the public service will not be enough for our workers to make it through this journey. As your union, we understand our role in raising the collective consciousness of the general body on issue[s] like investment, wealth creation, ownership maximising on educational opportunities and retirement planning. According to the World Economic Forum, only 1/3 of the world’s population is financially literate. In the developing world, it is disproportionately less especially among women. It is also recognised that financial literacy impacts on the quality of life of persons in their later years. Resulting from this is retirement income shortfall because of an underestimation and an over reliance on state pensions. Equipping our constituents with the requisite financial literacy training must form part of the NUPW’s mandate going forward.
This is important to the NUPW now as we note the 2021 census report, which was only recently laid in Parliament, highlights that one in four Barbadians is over the age of 60 and this is expected to rise to one in two by 2050. Should this trend hold, we are looking at the reshaping of the labour landscape. With that comes the redesigning of a public service to meet the needs and demands of a silver economy.
Given the myriad issues which are confronting public officers, on this May Day 2024, the National Union of Public Workers pledges its continued vigilance to the plight of officers and their families. To fight for mental, physical and financial well-being and to maintain the integrity of the public service.
As you take this journey, know that you are not walking alone. The NUPW will continue to side by side with you.
Solidarity Forever!
National Union of Public Workers
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