The Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) is on a path of “breaking the mould” and ensuring that it remains independent of external influences.
That was the message of BWU General Secretary Toni Moore to membership as they gathered at the union’s Labour College in St Philip for a fun day on Errol Barrow Day.
She assured members that the union would not shy away from any issue.
“We are also not going to be windswept by any approach that does not ensure that the legitimacy and importance of the workers’ concerns are maintained,” said Moore, who has been on the job for four and a half months.
As an example, she pointed to the issue of the retrenched National Conservation Commission (NCC) workers, and comments that the BWU was reacting differently to other unions, including the National Union of Public Workers which staged a protest last week, and other concerned parties.
In explaining her union’s position, Moore said: “Breaking the mould means that there will be those occasions where the positions we promote and defend will not necessarily fall in line with what others are thinking, saying, or even doing. But our mandate requires us to dare to be different where we are convinced that our position pursues a course of justice.”
She said that meant “not following the crowd because a position seems popular or to be the order of the day”.
“Unpopularity is okay if the premise is just and right,” the BWU boss insisted.