GOVERNMENT ACKNOWLEDGES that one of its greatest challenges is sustained employment for its people. This from Prime Minister Freundel Stuart during the Errol Barrow Memorial Church Service at St John’s Parish Church yesterday.
Speaking before a congregation that comprised Democratic Labour Party (DLP) stalwarts, Stuart lamented that full employment was only realized during slavery, where “those who wanted work got it and those who did not want work got it too”.
The Prime Minister said that Barrow’s dream was to find a place of comfort for work in the society.
“We are here this morning to memorialize the lifetime contribution of the late Errol Walton Barrow and we remember with profound gratitude the late David John Howard Thompson who inspired the recognition of this day.
“Errol Barrow committed himself,” Stuart said, “to a just society in Barbados, by which he meant no more than that every Barbadian should be able to find a comfortable place for himself or herself in this society.
“It has never been easy, and it’s even more difficult now as those of us who carry on his work have to grapple with the worst crisis the world has seen in about 100 years.”
The Prime Minister added: “One of the cruellest ironies of Caribbean history recogniSed by scholars over the years is that this region has enjoyed full employment only during the years of slavery. Those days have happily passed and we continue to wrestle with the provision of jobs for those who want them . . . . .
“But the difficulties of the time in which we live have done nothing to slacken our determination . . . . The Democratic Labour Party (DLP) continues to be committed to the creation of a just Barbados.”
As he acknowledged the presence of the Democratic Labour Party candidate for Thursday’s St John by-election, Mara Thompson, and her family, Stuart highlighted that “this is the first Errol Barrow service we are having when the constituency of St John is not substantively represented in the House of Assembly”.
“That, of course, will be corrected on Thursday. We confidently expect that Mara Thompson will be elected to the House of Assembly. So, we look forward to the continued representation of the constituency of St John by the Democratic Labour Party.
“We look forward to . . . our expectations . . . not [being] cheated of fulfilment, with Mara continuing the noble work started by the late Errol Walton Barrow and continued by her late husband David John Howard Thompson.” (AH)
