THE BARBADOS LABOUR PARTY (BLP), while in Government, introduced the Employment Rights Legislation bill which never saw the light of day on the floor of Parliament.
However, the Democratic Labour Party (DLP), acknowledging the importance of labour to a stable economic environment, took the bill and made some changes in consultations with the social partners.
We then took the bill and presented it to the people of Barbados and the same BLP that introduced it opposed its own creation. Shame!
This defines the political philosophy of the Owen Arthur-led Opposition. They have no regard for the workers of this country. A 14-year record of occupying the corridors of Parliament and not a single piece of labour law has ever graced the corridors of our Parliament. However, a hurried piece of legislation, the Public Service Act, appears on the eve of the election as a means of catching votes.
The discarded Rawle Eastmond tried his best to bring the Employment Rights bill to Parliament, but it was shot down on every occasion. To his credit, he must be commended for having tried. Of course, he too is history.
We have once again witnessed what drives the Barbados Labour Party. It is called political hypocrisy. They preach one sermon in Government but deliver on a different note in Opposition.
During 14 years of plenty they were unable to deliver on double-digit increases to our dedicated public servants. This occurred in the face of boastful growth in the economy. The DLP, in its first year in office, was able to deliver on a double-digit increase in pay to our public servants in the eye of the financial storm.
This is what distinguishes the two political parties: the focus on people and their needs. There can be no doubt that the global meltdown has given birth to some imperatives that would undermine our labour relations.
We have seen the dislocation experienced by people living in Greece, Spain and Portugal. They all have had to introduce austerity measures against the background of international loan financing. This DLP has not bowed to these external shocks, has kept public servants employed and strengthened our social safety net.
This episode of mayhem has transformed all of Europe and the United States. It has called on us to reorder how we do business and where our priorities ought to be. This economic crisis has reinforced the party’s belief that people should be at the centre of the development agenda.
The market-driven policy agenda of the Arthur-led Barbados Labour Party must accept responsibility for the state of affairs we find our country in. The BLP left a billion-dollar legacy in off-the-books expenses while accumulating up to $750 million in cost overruns for future generations to pay.
This country is now in safe hands with the Honourable Freundel Stuart and the DLP in the driver’s seat. Trust has been restored in public officials. Barbadians, we urge you to stay tuned to Team DLP as we chart Pathways To Progress.
• Douglas Leopold Phillips is a pseudonym for the Democratic Labour Party.
