Less than two weeks before the introduction of full free movement between Barbados and three other CARICOM states, the nation’s trade union umbrella group is pressing for a binding regional protocol to protect the rights of migrant workers, warning that without enforceable standards, they could face wage suppression and exploitation.
“[An] issue that must be addressed with clarity and resolve is the freedom of movement within the Caribbean,” said the president of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB), Ryan Phillips. “While the region benefits from shared human capital and collective growth, the movement of migrant labourers must be accompanied by coherent integration policies, proper labour documentation, and enforcement of social protections.”
Calling for a regional protocol on migrant labour welfare with enforceable standards to prevent wage suppression and workplace exploitation, he added: “Migrant workers must not be seen as threats, nor should local workers be left to feel abandoned.”
He was delivering remarks at CTUSAB’s mid-term delegates’ conference, entitled A Shared Vision for a Stronger Tomorrow: Through Change and Increased Dialogue, held at the Seventh-Day Adventist Conference Centre.
Before an audience that included Minister of Labour Colin Jordan, Phillips also questioned the status of non-financial benefits promised during the last public sector salary negotiations.
He said: “Commitments were made around early retirement schemes, wellness provisions, and improved occupational protections. These benefits are not secondary. They are essential to the dignity and the productivity of our workers. We call on the government to honour its word, not selectively, but comprehensively.”
Outlining a series of pressing sectoral issues which remain unresolved, the CTUSAB president cited the non-payment of overtime to nurses, the provision of uniform allowances to nurses at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the functioning of the Teachers’ Services Commission, the reinstatement of a term’s leave to teachers as part of their conditions of service, personal accident insurance for members of the protective services and nurses, the introduction of hazard and risk allowances for high-risk duties within the essential services including nurses, and hazard pay for prison officers. He urged that these matters be addressed urgently.
Speaking on the importance of the congress in a dynamic work environment, he suggested its effectiveness was being hampered by exclusion from decision-making at the national level. He flagged the body’s under-representation on several key boards and committees, including those overseeing immigration, education reform, and climate transition.
“These are not trivial omissions,” he said. “These are spaces where labour must have a voice. This must not be seen as a formality, but instead, labour must be seen as a participant in shaping Barbados’ future. If CTUSAB, as the workers’ representative, is indeed one of the three national pillars of development, then our presence must not be symbolic, but it must be substantial.” (JB)
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