Dennis De Peiza (left) signing a copy of his new book for chief executive officer of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Winston Collymore.

THERE IS A PRESSING NEED for more local and regional publications that address the practice of industrial and labour relations in the Caribbean.

General secretary of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados, Dennis de Peiza, made the suggestion atthe recent launch of his book, Issues And Responses, at the Savannah Hotel.

de Peiza, also managing director of Regional Management Services Inc., said that while there were many calls for local professionals to write and publish their works, there were few incentives and support mechanisms to encourage them.

According to him, printing costs were too high, the Enterprise Growth Fund or the National Cultural Foundation were not the answers, and there was little or no marketing support.

He said he intended to engage the Ministry of Education, Youth Affairs and Sports on the issue.

On his publication, he admitted venturing into unchartered waters, with unexpected challenges. He said his initial focus was on "completing a work that focused on the formation and development of the social partnership in Barbados".

The book, which took seven years to complete, is a collection gathered from his work in the labour movement. He said he did it because "there was no substantial documentation" available on the subject.

"The idea of compiling some of the many articles, speeches and commentaries that bear my name, and which in some instances were presented in the name of organisations that I served, came out of a demand by persons who were completing studies at the tertiary level and used these documents as research material." (TM)