January 19, 2021
It may serve the leadership of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) well to begin paying greater attention to Senator Caswell Franklyn’s Unity Workers’ Union (UWU).
From our position in the public square, it appears that there is growing confidence in the fledgling UWU, and more specifically its leader, who has shown great tenacity and dogged commitment to the ideals of protecting the ordinary worker against exploitation by this island’s employers.
We would never argue that there is no place for an expanded number of trade unions. There is nothing wrong with choice. But after seven decades of stellar contributions to workers’ rights and empowerment, it is sad to witness the BWU’s apparent diminishing standing.
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Article by Social Share
Opposition Senator Caswell Franklyn is accusing Government of not being fully transparent with the public regarding the state of things at Her Majesty’s Prisons Dodds, after officers there tested positive for the deadly COVID-19 virus.
Franklyn, who is also a consultant with the Prison Officers’ Association, siad yesterday that for days some officers had been complaining of being ill. He added a number of officers were fearful of returning to work, contending that it was for this reason the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) had been called out to assist.
He was speaking ahead of a national address last night by Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, Minister of Health Jeffrey Bostic, Minister of Home Affairs Wilfred Abrahams and Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George. It was revealed that 45 people tested positive, 32 of whom were prison officers and four BDF soldiers.
Barbados Today
Fearless, unapologetic, and prepared to offend in the name of righteousness.
That’s the nature of the man Caswell Franklyn, the Opposition Senator, trade union leader and all-round disruptor to the status quo in Barbados during the year 2020.
He has been in the fight for workers’ rights for decades, operating at ground zero as an industrial relations specialist with the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) in the 1990s and early 2000s. In fact, his no-nonsense approach often found him at loggerheads with the leadership of the NUPW.
A skilled negotiator and debater, Franklyn is known for taking a stand and is willing to defend it, even if it means it will result in personal loss or disadvantage.
#BTEditorial – A labour landscape of unrest
Article by December 12, 2020
General Secretary of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) and newly-minted Member of Parliament for St George North Toni Moore, must be pleased with the outcome of the more than decade-old dispute with global security firm G4S.
Securing a quick settlement to the dispute that threatened to explode into an all-out national industrial relations debacle was more than necessary. It was really a no-win situation for any of the parties involved had the fracture devolved into a national confrontation.
Prime Minister Mia Mottley was less than subtle, laying all the options she might pursue to bring the security firm to human understanding. G4S, a global brand would have done untold damage to its reputation if it was viewed as an exploitative employer that was prepared to subvert our country’s labour laws.