The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) is calling for international law enforcement support to help tackle escalating violent crime, while warning that extended hours for police officers without proper compensation may breach labour laws.
At a press conference on Wednesday, CTUSAB General Secretary Dennis De Peiza cautioned that officers risk burnout under the current six-day workweek directive.
“CTUSAB is mindful of the strained resources of The Barbados Police Service,” De Peiza said. “Moreover, there is a consciousness of the burnout to be suffered by police officers who are mandatorily required to work for a definite period of time.
“This cannot be supported by the Congress. It is important that there is compliance with labour laws and practice where all workers are entitled to two days’ rest, having completed a 40-hour work week.”
De Peiza’s remarks at the Barbados Union of Teachers headquarters follow concerns raised by the Barbados Police Association, whose president Inspector Wendley Carter revealed that some officers are working double shifts in response to the spike in violent crime. The association has demanded double pay for the extra days worked.
De Peiza acknowledged the national security crisis but maintained that the law must still be upheld.
“Whereas the heightened state of crime and violence warrants police officers to work beyond the standard 40-hour week, they are eligible and entitled to overtime pay,” he said.
With homicides reaching 30 so far this year, De Peiza urged the government to seek outside help.
“The use of the gun by criminals to commit robberies and burglaries on our streets, at people’s homes, residences and at workplaces is a cause for great uneasiness,” he said. “It is imperative that the Government of Barbados seeks assistance from international intelligence police agencies to address this glaring problem.”
CTUSAB is also advocating for tougher laws, including a repeal of bail for individuals charged with murder or gun-related offences.
“Tough decisions must be taken if for no other reason than to send a clear message to the criminal element that it will not be business as usual,” De Peiza said.
He linked the country’s social decline to waning discipline in schools, pointing to a breakdown of authority and weakening moral education.
“There is now common knowledge of the many reported cases of students using and selling marijuana on and off the school compound,” he said. “Taking all these factors into consideration, it can be concluded that the indiscipline which starts at the school level will likely be ingrained in the life and character of students as they mature.”
Teachers, he noted, are operating in a climate of fear, facing verbal and physical threats from students and parents, while also being subjected to legal threats.
In response, CTUSAB is expanding its call for government-funded personal accident insurance for protective services and nurses to now include teachers.
“Given the experience of teachers system-wide, CTUSAB now has every reason to alter its proposal to include them,” De Peiza said.
The labour body also took aim at legislation permitting public marijuana use in small quantities, branding it “a nuisance” that fosters disorder, particularly in the transport sector.
De Peiza added: “It is CTUSAB’s view that every effort ought to be made to rid the nation of the minibus and ZR culture which showcases acts of indiscipline, rowdyism, and disrespect for law and order.”
sheriabrathwaite@barbadostoday.bb
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