After 12 years of agitation, teachers are finally getting back a key benefit — a term’s leave — in what union leaders on Monday called a hard-won victory for the profession and worker welfare.
Speaking during a press conference at the Ministry of Education Transformation headquarters on Constitution Road on Monday, Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) general secretary Gilbert Carmichael said members felt a deep sense of relief after more than a decade of advocacy.
“Just to say that the Barbados Union of Teachers, we’re extremely elated this afternoon. Twelve years certainly isn’t 12 days, and this has been a long, hard fight,” Carmichael said.
He credited both the government and union members for sustaining the push to restore the benefit.
“But above all, I want to say thanks to our membership. I want to say thanks to you for your unity. I want to say thanks for holding us to the fire so that we maintain strong advocacy,” he said.
Carmichael added that the return of the benefit would allow teachers to recover from the demands of the profession.
“You can now look forward to bettering what you do as you are now given some respite, some rejuvenation, and certainly time for some professional and personal advancement.”
The reinstatement restores a key condition of service that had been removed in 2014 under austerity measures introduced by the then Democratic Labour Party administration. While teachers avoided job cuts at the time, access to term’s leave was restricted to first-time applicants and those nearing retirement, despite the policy initially being intended as a temporary measure.
Over the years, unions mounted sustained advocacy, including legal action filed in 2017 and a two-day strike by the BUT in April 2025, as frustration grew among educators.
Term leave allows eligible teachers to be granted a full school term off with pay after 15 years of service and every five years thereafter.
Barbados Secondary Teachers’ Union (BSTU) president Mary-Ann Redman said the development brought closure to a prolonged period of strain within the profession: “We in the BSTU are certainly very, very happy about this… to have been able to reach the conclusion to this matter that has been a source of frustration, bother, hurt, anger to teachers in the system.”
She stressed that the benefit plays a critical role in supporting teachers’ overall well-being.
“The importance of the term’s leave to teachers cannot be disputed,” Redman said. “It is something that was vital to their emotional, physical and professional well-being.”
She also praised educators for maintaining standards despite the absence of the benefit.
In a statement, BUT President Rudy Lovell said the decision recognises the growing pressures faced by teachers, describing the profession as “one of the most intellectually and emotionally demanding”.
He noted that increased workloads, including expanded administrative requirements and additional teaching periods, have contributed to fatigue and burnout, arguing that term’s leave remains essential rather than optional.
“It enables teachers to recharge mentally and physically, thereby helping to prevent chronic stress, anxiety, and other health issues, while enhancing overall job satisfaction and performance,” Lovell said.
Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) president Ryan Phillips said the move signals a broader commitment to worker welfare.
“This decision addresses the matter and sends a message saying that we care… the government cares about you and your well-being,” Phillips said.
“I trust that this would be the start of… dialogue that seeks to address the strengthening of working conditions, but also protecting the rights and the welfare of workers across Barbados and within the public service,” he added.
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