The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB), Dennis De Peiza, has called on the next administration to treat the labour movement as an equal and indispensable partner in national governance.
“Whatever government comes to power, I want that government to understand that labour is a partner in the governance of this country, and is to be treated with respect and dignity that it deserves,” General Secretary Dennis De Peiza told Barbados TODAY just after casting his ballot at St Stephen’s Primary School.
De Peiza also strongly urged Barbadians to exercise their right to vote, noting that this right has been earned and is not available to citizens in many parts of the world.
“The right to vote is something that we have earned, something that we have, and people have to recognise that some parts of the world is not a right of persons, and we need to exercise our right in the interest of making the choices that we want, and not to complain after the fact,” he said. “We need to ensure that as long as we have the right, that we should exercise that right, whenever it is given to us.”
Addressing voter apathy, which has emerged in public discussion during the election campaign, De Peiza linked it to a breakdown of trust and confidence in political parties.
He suggested that leaders in public life must first set a standard, be transparent, and be accountable to the people they serve, insisting that if these elements are “dubious or questionable”, problems arise.
“I think that as long as we can understand that we need to clean up our act all over the place, wherever it exists, and to restore that confidence, because young people learn from their foreparents,” he said.
De Peiza cautioned that if young people observe “cowardly” or inappropriate behaviour from their elders, they tend to follow suit. This unfortunate cycle, he added, risks corrupting future generations by undermining the free and democratic system. He suggested the system should be based on influencing people through appropriate performance and actions consistent with the “best practices and norms”.
(JB)
The post CTUSAB urges respect for labour as key governance partner appeared first on Barbados Today.