BWU Supports BICO Employees in Work Stoppage Over Longstanding Issues: Environmental, Safety, and Wage Concerns

The Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) is throwing its support behind BICO employees who are off the job on Wednesday.

BWU negotiator Alexandria Thomas said the work stoppage was “in response to several issues which have been happening throughout the last couple of years”.

She listed environmental concerns, health and safety issues and a breakdown in wage negotiations which have been taking place for some time.

“One of the other things we need to highlight are wage negotiations. We have been at the table with BICO for no less than seven years trying to negotiate a wage increase for workers that have been working at the same rate since 2015, 2016 and 2017 for some persons,” Thomas told the media.

“Can you imagine working at a rate dating back to 2017? We are of the view that we cannot allow workers to sit in a productive company – a company that is making a profit on a daily basis off of the workers’ back and not allowing them to have any wage increase for more than seven years.”

She said despite talks reaching the Labour Department, there was no change, so they were supporting the workers who gathered outside the facility at Harbour Road.

“Enough is enough and that is what we are showing by being out here today. We cannot allow this disregard of workers’ rights. We cannot allow the disregard of workers’ place in society by the management of BICO.” (SAT)