MORE THAN 100 people marched through the City streets today in solidarity with dismissed National Conservation Commission workers.
Led by National Union of Public Workers president Walter Maloney; acting general secretary Rosalind Smith and first vice-president Akanni McDowall, the march began and ended at Queen’s Park, travelling through areas such as Roebuck Street, Pinfold Street, Tudor Street, Swan Street and Crumpton Street.
The marchers sang the union anthem Solidarity Forever while shouting slogans like “Lowe must go!” and “equal rights and justice” while holding placards with “solidarity for everyone”; “how Lowe can we go?” and “It’s never too late for justice”.
Maloney said they were happy with the turnout as “whoever shows up to show solidarity we are thankful for”, adding he hoped the march would result in the workers getting their due.
When asked to respond to Minister of Housing Denis Kellman, who questioned the validity of the march as he said there was no sense in marching to Parliament to present the Minister of Labour with anything when she was not in the Lower House, Maloney said he had no idea what Kellman was talking about as there was never any intention to march to Parliament.
“I am not aware of what Denis Kellman said but all he had to do was call us and he would have gotten the route,” he said.
Spotted among the crowd were Sandra Husbands, a former senator and former president of the Barbados Small Business Association; Marsha Hinds-Layne, public relations officer for the BLP [Barbados Labour Party] League of Women; workers from the now defunct Beautify Barbados and teachers. (CA)
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