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.