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3/20/2010
Today's Poll
Do you agree with the proposal to freeze wages?
- Yes, we can't afford not to. (237)
- No, the public can't afford it. (390)
- Total Votes:
59 comment found!
Financial Crisis???? : 2/17/2010
Iv'e got the answer. Instead of all those kickbacks the more the fortunate in this country are privy to ..... do some crunches and lunges see how that makes you feel. When you do (bds govt) then you'll be able to feel like how we feel.
: 2/16/2010
wage freeze : 2/16/2010
I agree that a wage freeze is not a good idea now, simply because every possible thing has been increased. I fully support what Mandissa said. I, like many government workers, have a mortgage. I have water and electric bills like anyone else and I have a basic phone. Perhaps I should remove the phone and use smoke signals. I must eat, so I have to buy food. I also have a three month old baby and she needs pampers and formula, both of which are expensive. I suppose that the DLP would want me to use cloth diapers. Perhaps too, instead of formula I should give her English Plantain leaf tea. My car is 11 years old. I lead a simple life but a wage freeze would kill me because my salary is not big. Where is the much touted Cost-U-Less store? Come on DLP, have mercy on us small folk out here.
Barbados does not need only ... : 2/15/2010
...a wage freeze; BARBADOS DESPERATELY NEEDS A SOCIAL REVOLUTION!
wage freeze : 2/15/2010
Why is it that Barbadians of the opinion the government workers aren't poor.well i got news for you we are and we have responsibilities like everyone else,mortgages,loans,food,utilities and children. And our bills are a bit harder to maintain when you going from paycheck to paycheck monthly instead of weekly.
: 2/15/2010
I believe the person going under the name dodge is the PM'S shaddow or one of the ministers .This is not about being partisan but being realistic .All bajans work togather my foot !Did we get ourselves into this mess .No! The world is in financial turmoil we did not have to be in this deep pit of S*** now .I believe if Dodge is not one of the persons i mentioned before they have not job so they can sit and talk rot al lthe time .Everything going up, every utility and you all are saying what? Millions of dollars are beind spent before our very eyes and we are supposed to take the shit smell as the old people say and believe it is Chanel no5? No way . All the money that is being spent on unnecessary projects ,building houses for persons who really need to look for work , putting on an extravagent party everytime some one makes an achievement .We need to temper our spending .I am not saying that we should not recognise our achievers but at the same time we must be prudent .All the money spent on the Ryan Brathwaite affair .You tell me
C O Williams and the other persons would not have rewarded him if there was not this grand fanfare? A simple welcome dinner and present him with all the stuff?The Rhianna big do ANOTHER USAGE OF TAX PAYERS MONEY .Who payed for her and her entourage to come here ? Everything is a big fete for us here .The guse is you are involving the people and getting them all hyped at he end of the da ythe free concerts are not free. we wast too much money here . Government should set the example in prudence .Ministers should take a cut ,decide they will take lesser money until this thing settles . But i know black bird will cut teeth before that happens . But after saying all of that even if ther e was not a freze there would still be one because who said there would be an increase .Now the G G got a new top of the line car . We money again ad people talking about wage freeze .Steuuuupse .The thing that want freezing forever is the minister that say so big mouth and all the other posters that brain dead .
thnk before you leep : 2/15/2010
We all know the government is having a difficult time(understandable) but you cannot afford the put to much pressure on the people. We have already adjusted our standard income to manage our expense but too much and there will be nothing left.
Everyone is crying out for an ease but that is no excuse to squeeze more from others crying out also. If you can't raise salaries then the brilliant minds can come together to see if there are ways to smooth thing out and not raise cost because the economy is hard. You keep raising cost some day people will not be able to pay even if they want your service. Most of us are not looking for free-bees we just want to make it better for our children and families just like you. Put yourself in our shoes, how would you feel, (scared or confident in these times)?
find a better way : 2/15/2010
If you can't raise salaries then can you lower the expenses. We all know the economy is difficult. Is a company's profit more important that a person trying to make ends meet.
We look at persons partying but what are the age groups of those persons or even the economic status of those person do any of them have children to take care of, homes etc.
Stop looking at the small amount of people who can afford such and start listening to those who are really affected.
Some of us barely managed to muster up the money five plus years ago to get a car to get the family to their destinations when $60 could full a tank of gas and $250 for road tax now a tank full of gas is a fleeting memory not to mention the road tax.
poor people will suffer at goverment's hands : 2/15/2010
a wage freeze will hurt the goverment maids ,guards, nurses ,sanitation workers ,clerks ,postal workers ,teachers ,telephone operators,and the list goes on ,ya just ok Bardados Light&Power to raise them rates and i feel as thou them allready raise every month i paying more money,water up aready ,gas like a yoyo up and down and then the lime bill it real sour,ya working fa $1000 a month $500 in bills children to tek care of and food to buy a chicken fa about $13 if ya want one that in all bones a soft drink fa $1.75 a box a milk fa mek tea $1.99 ,ya cant go in the supermarket with a promise ,and when ya raising cost of living i want a raise of pay to accommodate that , wha wanna really want me to do ? you de goverment tell me
Do you agree with the proposal to freeze wages? : 2/15/2010
I don't seee why the BLP persons are blaming the PM, this mess was started years before the DLP ever came to power. So I say that all Bajans should work together and pull the country out fo this problem. PLease no partisan nonsense. WORK TOGETHER
wage freeze : 2/15/2010
i am a single parent and i mean single i am mother and father to my son his dad is decease, now i have my house to run and my son needs to see to ,rent , water ,light ,lime ,multi choice (basic) ( i am one of the few that don't pirate and then there's the caveshephard and mannings accounts cause you cant afford it at cash price ) now add to that food and transport to and from work ,and my son is at secondary school so it's lunch as well , now added to that he has challenges when it comes to reading he is dyslexic so now there is lessons fee because i will not be raising him to lime on the block he will have choices in life so his education is a must,and then there is the clothing fee ,a pair of pants for him goes through two stages, long then as he grows out of them ,short ,sure i would love to give him some of the things i know he wants but he sees me struggling and he understands,after all this and cost-of-living going up you telling me about a wage freeze i barely getting by with the help of family who has they own family to provide for , freeze the managers wages not mine, i am unable to purchase a piece of this little rock while some of you out there are getting ridiculous pay just for delegating the hard work to others , boy is this world unfair ,So you ministers and managers out there ,you take the wage freeze some of you can take a wage cut, because we dont just want our raise of pay we need it .Only by the grace of God do i get by each month , cause i have to say he knows and sees my needs , i give thanks to him
wages : 2/15/2010
Can the public afford to pay these higher wages? If so...no problem...
if i was pm thompson : 2/15/2010
i would recall the 8% cut and its ramifications
wage freeze : 2/14/2010
The only thing in Barbados that needs to be frozen now is the brain of the Minister that suggested such.
One thing that I know for sure and that is, A wage freeze will not affect his life style.
Freeze!! This Is a Stick Up!! : 2/14/2010
Yup!! We have bin stuck up, an' dem want us to freeze aftuh de fact? I agree wid de freeze, people aint got no restraint!!! We need to get our priorities right - women need to start cookin' n' stop spenning suh much money pon nails an' hair, men need to stop buying gadgets fuh de car. People aint got no restraint!! Yuh normally eat 2 eggs fuh brekfus' eat one!! Everybody wan a blackberry!! Wanna bees still drivin' round wid glass roll up tight tight!! Air conditionining!! Yes freeze!! Learn to spend money!! Tell LIME to come back fuh dem phone- get a phone dat will give you dial tone widout de bells and whistles. LIME banking on everybody keeping their MAX - SEND DEM BACK!! We need to make our money TALK!! Get a regular phone, yuh don't need to know who callin'. What is de fuss!! Get rid of Direct TV and de Multi Choice - do widdout tings!! What is de fuss!! Food supposed to be sooo xpensive and Bajans as fat as evuh!! Wunna FAT!! FAT and Still MORE FAT!! People wanted to hang Sandi - but here dis, Sandi will go down in West Indian political history as de politician wid de biggest balls!!! When you got to mek an unpopular decision people would kill you. Moses shoulda hang dem eight boys in the desert an' let de odder two lead the war!! Dese guvmunt ministers aint produce a revenue generatin' idea since dem get in. Raising taxes aint creative!! Dat dont tek brains! You imagine that you dreaming bout being PM fuh 10 years, pon de backside o de political desert and when you get it, you **** up!!! Go figure! In de midst of recession, de only body buildin' is that yellow and purple restaurant - cause people too lazy!! Count de cost!! Dem does get 9 pieces from a whole chicken an' people saying dat a whole chiken can feed a family o' 4!!! Freeze it!! It's time for our money to speak!! Stop shopping at dat place dat yuh does have to pay to shop!!! Imported madness!! American habits on Bajan landscape!! Freeze it!! Restraint!! Stop using de dryer - use the sun!! Put de clothes pon a line!!! What's de fuss!!! Live on a budget!!! Let de children go to sleep early, lights out!! What's de fuss!! Freeze it!!
proposed wage freeze : 2/14/2010
The proposed wage freeze will only impact upon gov't workers. I understand the need to do so, but a freeze need to be place on prices in the supermarkets. why should the poor in this country have to "pay" for the lifestyles of the rich and famous, keeping them in a perpectual state of bliss whilst the "haves not" cannot even enjoy a decent meal. Freezing wages is only a quick fix solution, but not the real answer. Who suffers most in all of this. the women who cannot support their household.
DLP Personally Liable : 2/13/2010
Since it is difficult to see what the DLP is doing with the naked eye, I say, cut Ministers pay by 25% first. They got the country into this mess and should be the ones to feel the pressure, while they consider the best options to bring the change they promised.
Wage Freeze : 2/12/2010
This is what happens the people of a Country is conned by Politicans . You wanted the dems you got the dems, go figure.
Tired Ministers : 2/11/2010
Denis Lowe seems to be asleep as minister responsible for the BWA.No rainfall yet BWA say not to worry continue to waste water.
hell no to wage freezing : 2/11/2010
Freeze de meals de Mp's gettin dat got dem getting so fat. Start wid de high salary earners.
Freeze building that proposed 55 million dollar government building in warrens that is not a necessity right now.
Freeze giving the O.K to big entities like light & power and lime dat raking in de dough but sill want mo' from poor people.
Freeze allowing the employees where "commision is serviced" to stop giving de jobs to their friends and families instead of first come, first served, followed by who is more suitable for the job. Someone needs to investigate what is going on up there.
Freeze using all of the land for housing and instead use it for agricultural purposes which could decrease our food bill, use de prisoners to work de land like in de old time days so that #1. hard earned tax payer money would not just go to feeding the prisoners and making them fat, they could in turn be making a contribution to the economy and 2. give dem soldier boys the job of watching the prisoners while they work the land and so the soldier boys could use their shooting skills if any of the prisoners try to run.
Freeze allowing contractors to take peoples money for building homes and then not completing projects and these contractors are still not being prosecuted because someone has created a loophole in the system.
Freeze the way that poor people does only get help after they embarass themselves by airing their laundry in public.
When I remember what else to freeze, I will write again.
wages : 2/10/2010
Better to have a wage freeze than a lost of job
Why should bankers be the only ones to get a bailout : 2/10/2010
Wankers are not the only ones who need a bailout. In the last year, more money has been created and poured down the drain into the bottomless pit that is the corrupt banking system, than would have been collected in taxes. I say, grant tax relief to all citizens for the next three years, rather than more national debt (aka higher future taxes) and wage freezes. This is not a welfare state which will automatically, adequately support those who find it too difficult to stay afloat. Unfortunately, the worst is probably not behind us. There are limits!
If just the mention of a wage freeze... : 2/10/2010
...can place so many people in mental puragtory. One can only imagine what the reaction will be if layoffs, cutbacks, foreclosures, higher unemployment, increased crime rates and homelessness ever materialize across this land.
Why Bajans might be forced into really drastic actions like "staring up at the sun" for hours on end or taking some very slow boats to China!
Wage freeze yes : 2/10/2010
We need to do it for the best interest of the country. Businesses need to do their part as well (STOP RAISING THE PRICES). Settle for a smaller profit. We all can cut back on travel, partying, purchases of the latest cell phones, brand name cloths, hair styles, fake nails etc.Sad to say some people perfer to spend on the above items before they buy food or pay their utilities. Come on Bajans lets do our part to help the country.
NO TO WAGE FREEZE! : 2/10/2010
Public servants cannot afford a wage free at this time. Everything has gone up since the last increase: electricity, telephone, water bills, gas, food, road tax and other services. Public servants have mortgages to pay and children to send to school/college.
Freeze : 2/10/2010
Freeze giving government money to private busineeses, thinking they are too big to fail.
Efficient Public Service : 2/9/2010
I agree, the public officers are already on salary cuts, junior officers awaiting salary for acting in higher positions. credit cards payments in arrears, no money to pay and interest being added on. The service asking for more qualifications and not placing U in the appropriate position. Persons with accounting qualification and no gov't financial operation experience place in senior positions and junior officers have to do the work.Qualified officers with experience overlooked,some having two degrees. Need god-father
let the rich reduce their pay : 2/9/2010
decrease the politians pay since they have so uch mouth
Freeze Salaries. : 2/8/2010
Tighten your belt, if you can't buy a pound buy half a pound. Stop eating out and tryingf to livfe like the Jones. These are tough times all over the world, be thanful for what you have. At least you have a job, some people are unemployed and they have to wait for the welfare cheque. Years ago growing up as a child in Barbados my Dad paid school fees, mortgage, utility bills but we never went to sleep hungry. My mother made all of our clothes and we survived. Think of your children there is only so much money to go around.
Wage Freeze : 2/8/2010
If the government wants to put a freeze on the salary he should put a freeze on the utilities bills and the groceries because not every bajan can survive as some of us thinking and a lot of bajans live from pay cheque to pay cheque.
Wage freeze : 2/8/2010
I was a public servant in Canada for 33 yrs and we had two sessions of wage freezes. One for 4 yrs, which was extended for a total of six yrs and we survived. it is hard, but you tighten your belts.
Bajan-Canadian
wage freeze : 2/8/2010
Start with the money that is being given out every month in Entertainment, Travel and telephone allowance for the high officers who do not entertain,or travel. Why must the poor man continue to suffer. Start cutting some of these big salaries and allowances
freeze wages : 2/8/2010
there have to be another way but if no other way then who would suffer from the freeze how would that effect the very low income working class
: 2/7/2010
I think that it is time that the one's who so comfortably take home those huge lump sums for dumping all the work on what we call the junior staff should really give up a percentage in contribution to where it is needed most. For e.g. the meal allowances, travel allowance( bare in mind that this is still obtained from the company's petty cash etc.)
: 2/7/2010
WHY CANT THEY SEE THE AMOUNT OF NEW SUVS THEY ARE BUYING AND GIVING OUT AND THEY FRIENDS TO DRIVE ABOUT GAS/DIESEL IS PAID BY US MONEY. I AM AGAINST WAGE FREEZE
: 2/7/2010
i would not have a problem with a wage freeze once it starts from the TOP ppl (politican, CEO, etc) first and come down. (time it gets to the lil ppl at the bottom hopefully the recession will be over)
wage freeze : 2/7/2010
Will the old-age and NIS pensioners have a freeze also? Sure thing! What amazes me is the fact that the P.M. said that the economy was doing fine and there was NO cash-flow problem. Now he wants to freeze our wages. Hope he freezes all those unneccessary trips abroad for himself and his ministers and their families. Lead from the front Davey, 2013 is just around the corner
From Prosperity to crisis : 2/6/2010
Here are the two cruel option the DLP is giving us: buy food and be evicted or pay the rent/mortgage and starve. This country is on a freefall from prosperity to crisis.
Re: THINK TANK : 2/6/2010
You done "tanked" again! And I'm once more confused. This is getting to be a habit of yours and you're amazingly adept at it. What's that about the economic strata and the market board members?
Freeze Wages... : 2/6/2010
No, as such practices deem unfair, not equitible nor moral because such a practice in general is not equally distributed nor performed across the unilatiral board of the entire economic strata to include heads of businesses, politicians and Market board members and their stock holders! Each needs to feel the pain of monetary belt tightning!!!
VAT freeze : 2/4/2010
Perhaps the Government , if they want a wage freeze,should consider scrapping the VAT on the 60% in water rates and also on the 10% increase in electricity rates.They cannot have it both ways.
: 2/4/2010
Please remember the Prime- Minister is only as good as his advisors. So if you are a true Barbadian then you should be volunteering effective solutions that are outstandingly good for the economics of our island.Intelligent and crafty ideas and ideals should be the benifit of our nation.
"Wage freeze" : 2/4/2010
A wage freeze cab be tollarated. Yes to the fact if taxes are equitable and fair within the corrisponding tax bracket.Those in the lower economic bracket should expect Some relief incentive.That's the way consumer commodities stablise with out a negative effect in purchases.
Wage freeze : 2/3/2010
Havent had a raise in 9 Years. I have a job, medical benefits, and a good retirement plan. I am not complaining, because i dont have a car payment, no new car. No new TV, Fridge, Computer, Camera, no fancy phone, no cable and my life is good and secure, i do not want.
: 2/3/2010
Bajans go to every dog fight. They can control, the light bill and the water.
Use less pay less.
Forget about water, electricity and telephone... : 2/3/2010
...you can even forget about food, we bajans have to party, buster!
As for the wage freeze, as long as there's no freeze on 'soca' or 'dub' music, no big deal. Money got to come from somewhere.
All we want is more work freeze, fete hikes, and free brams to party and do bad.
Wage Freeze : 2/3/2010
Barbadains have gotten what they wanted, CHANGE, a government that would allow for an increase in electricity rates to build a Plant, what is going to happen when the Plant has been built, are we going to see a reduction in or rates. Why could these entities, water, electricity and telephone be told that we understand your plight, but we will have to defer the increase in rates to 2011, when the forecast might be brighter, no workers have to be the ones to suffer. Unfortunately, we have become an Island of fetes, so it was on Errol Barrow Day and may be some time later in the year we will be given another big free bram, with all the local and regional soca and dub artist, and we all will party and forget about rate increase and wage freeze. Fetepsychology
: 2/3/2010
Why should wages be frozen ? They are alot more things that can be . let us start with all the new projects (that is a sizable amount) .Freeze the high entertainment allowances the ministers get .Alot of eating at breakfast meetings ,and dinners .Freeze the unnecessasary flying from the prime minister back down .Freeze the feel good things that are going on just to say we did and not the previous government .If we are going to freeze let The ministers start , then the permanent secretaries and the high commissioners that i still wonder what their real reasons for the overseas missions really are Eg. China .Stop paying so many people to do one job .By then the country will be out of recession .
Conserve Energy : 2/3/2010
One does not want to admit that we as consumers can do better by budgeting. We can do nothing about the already increase in utilities, but we can conserve energy, decide what is un-necessary as well as to live by the basics. Then for example, no one wants to plant fruit trees any more. Check the heights, only hybrid mango trees adorn most of the manicured lawns. What happens when mangoes go out of season? On top of that your neighbours cannot offer you anything because everyone have the same type fruit tree. We have forgotten how to live by the basics and the mentality the old Barbadians had. We want everything we see on TV and all those gadgets need electricity to work. Use the same concept that the politicians use on us, that means you have the same amount of revenue and the money still have to come from somewhere. Conserve energy as you have to eat as well as pay a mortgage.
: 2/3/2010
Short sightedness is clearly amongst us. Put it this way, you can have the salary increase now, with the added potential that you may get the axe due to shortage of funds to pay wages by year end or next year. OR you can maintain the salaries you currently have, make some "lifestyle" changes and preserve the longevity of your employment until the times become better. More money now is LESS money (if not zero) later.Same money now has a higher probability of producing more money LATER.
Bajans have to stop thinking the are the only ones this is being done too, Jamaica has it worse and so do other Caribbean islands. Outside the region Greece has already implemented these measures and is going to increase tax to reduce their debt burden. Their debt burden is far less in comparable terms to Barbados.
cost of living high : 2/3/2010
how can the government expect to give a wage freeze when every day the prices of things going up. It will be harder to get by if every thing you have to buy price get higher and you have to deal with the same salary. It don't have to increase to a big jump one time but a little at a time would help with the cost of living we have to deal with today.
: 2/3/2010
While it is a fact that utility bills have increased, at the end of the day the state have to do what is pruudent to safegaurd the economy .
Tings tight already!!! : 2/2/2010
With the cost of living skyrocketing, a wage freeze will only cause greater contraction of the economy because people will cut back more on spending because they would see that an increase in salary is no where in sight.
wages freeze : 2/2/2010
a little with content you can gain a whole lot
Take a 'lil bit, and live long! : 2/2/2010
You can freeze a lot of things; water, food, bodies, medicine, etc.,
You can even freeze wages. People have a way of making adjustments, and sometimes its good for them. Maybe they have to shed a few comforts and pass up on some luxuries, but there's that old true saying, "take a 'lil bit, and live long!"
Wage freeze : 2/2/2010
Freeze the wages at the top. Those big civil servants who earn 90 thousand dollars a year and more should have their wages frozen but not the poor at the bottom who take home less that 25 thousand dollars a year.
Better to wait : 2/2/2010
I would rather have frozen wages, with an agreement of back pay when the all clear comes than a pay hike with a lost of jobs.
: 2/2/2010
Why not freeze top tier wages, say, those over $60,000 a year. If that is an issue, then something is clearly wrong with the financial burden that the individuals have presently. Those under $60,000, could receive an increase with some restraint, taking into consideration the recent increases in utilities that will impact them significantly directly and indirectly (food, etc.)A wage freeze is very possible, but it has to be considerate of the people who earn less per month, not those at the top.People have to become reasonable, even the ministers themselves.
freeze wages : 2/2/2010
I think all persons making 90,000.00 and up per year should have a pay freeze for at less 2 years. Its better to try this than to have the IMF stepping in. We already don't have the smartest prime minster for Barbados, and the last thing we want is the walls of Barbados to come falling down.
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