CHRISTMAS MESSAGE: Hope for brighter days

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” – Romans 15:13

It is Christmas time again; a time of merriment and celebration, a time when people speak cheerfully to each other and we see past the troubles of a year almost ended.

Yet, the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) is painfully aware that for so many workers and citizens of this fair land, there is no ignoring of the overshadowing difficulties with which we were confronted during 2014: job loss, inadequate access to reparation where rights have been violated, increased taxes, downgrade of our country’s sovereign credit rating, death of loved ones, and the list goes on.

There is a sense of desperation and uncertainty pervading our nation that demands swift solutions but, in far too many instances, that sense of desperation is driven by a personal need for survival that has rendered us, whether at the level of Government, the family or the individual, oblivious to the pain and discomfort which we are inflicting on others in the process.

But thankfully, all is not lost. Christmas is the one day of the year that carries real hope and promise for all humankind. And so the message from the BWU to trade union members and non-members alike is one of hope even in these very bleak moments. Despite the difficulties of the year almost ended, this Yuletide season is our opportunity to reaffirm our hope for brighter tomorrow.

Together Toward Tomorrow, the theme chosen for the BWU’s 73rd annual delegates’ conference earlier this year, was inspired by the executive council’s recognition that the change and future which we anticipate and strive towards can only be achieved when empowered individuals who are committed to the greater good make a conscious effort to spring into collective action to shape a better tomorrow.

During the coming days, as we reflect on the Christmas Story, I covet the hope for you which inspired Mary and Joseph to pursue a message delivered by an angel despite the ridicule and criticism to which they were exposed. Similarly, that you would be like the wise men and shepherds, who endured harsh environmental and physical conditions so that they may honour and worship the promised hope.

Oh that you could share in the hope which inspires this new general secretary, that there is a better tomorrow worth fighting for and that a turnaround of our situation is within reach. Only if we could see past our self-interests, our individual political preferences and the other superficial divides and be united by the common thread, the common goal for a better tomorrow. 

Christmas is a time of introspection. Let us reflect on the values we need to defend and let us commit to doing all within our power to build up our country, our union and ourselves. Together we are strong!

From the executive council and staff of the Barbados Workers’ Union, I wish all our members and those who would receive this message a very merry Christmas and a blessed 2015.