Reasonable wage increases, improved retirement benefits and ending the overuse of temporary contracts are top priorities for the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW).
President Kimberley Agard outlined those goals recently, as she spoke out against aims to shut the union out of negotiations.
“We are seeing increasing attempts to sideline union negotiations, to weaken our influence in decision making. Without strong unions, workers suffer. Without strong unions, fairness and equity are eroded. The cost of living is rising, yet there are those who believe that wages should remain stagnant.
“Contract work and job insecurity have become the norm. These are battles we cannot afford to lose,” Agard said.
She made those remarks at the formal opening of the NUPW’s 80th Annual General Conference at the Horatio Cooke Complex, Dalkeith Road, St Michael.
While she celebrated many of their achievements over the years, Agard said they would be striving to accomplish new goals.
“We now need to set new priorities, negotiate a new salary accord and improved conditions, a fair wage increase that reflects inflation and the cost of living, a revision of outdated allowances to better align with modern economic demands, a structured remote work policy recognising the need for flexibility where applicable, enhanced pension security and post-retirement benefits for those who have served their country faithfully,” she said.
Agard said they wanted more scholarships, training opportunities and leadership programmes for public officers, and a push for clearer promotion pathways to eliminate stagnation in career growth.
In addition, she said strengthening job security and work protection, ending the overuse of temporary contracts, securing more permanent employment, ensuring fair disciplinary processes, prioritising work-life balance, reasonable workload distribution, improved mental health support systems and employee assistance programmes were also high on their agenda.
“The progress we have made must not be undone. Stability must not be disrupted at this critical time. We are entering a new phase of negotiations and the NUPW must remain strong, unified and focused,” she added.
Innovation And Resilience: Empowering The Public Worker For A Sustainable Future is the theme for the conference.
During the opening ceremony, there were musical performances by saxophonist Daniel Harvey and steel pannist Sanita Small.
General secretary Richard Green delivered welcome remarks, Deputy Wayne Walrond shared fraternal greetings and Minister of Educational Transformation Senator Chad Blackman delivered the feature address.
Blackman encouraged the union to ensure their members were adequately trained and re-tooled.
“The Government has set a clear goal that Barbados must become the most prosperous and advanced nation in the world. We are small enough to do it. Our workers must now also be given the tools to be a part of that journey of being number one in the world.
“Ten years from today, the skills required for our workers in the public and private sector will require a different skill set, a high level of innovation and nimbleness.
“You have a blueprint of success, collective bargaining, but how do you now shape that into a modern reality and help your members to prepare themselves with new skills,” Blackman asked.
He acknowledged that there were fears surrounding advancements such as artificial intelligence but said its usage was crucial and that there was a way for the workforce to use it to their benefit.
“How do you now use the tool and not see AI as a replacement but to see it as an enhancement? Will there be displacement across the world, relative to AI? Absolutely yes, but equally AI cannot replace the ingenuity of human beings. So the question is how do we ensure there is complementarity between the two?
“Therefore, the union must ensure your members are trained, whether it is members in the School Meals Service, Sanitation [Service Authority]. . . all of your members should be able to understand and appreciate the changing environment,” he said.
