Scandal of unethical employers in Barbados
By RICKEY SINGH
Guyana Chronicle
November 4, 2006
HAMILTON Lashley, the former Minister of Social Transformation and currently the government's "advisor on poverty", chose to "tell it like it is" last week about the ongoing exploitation of CARICOM migrant workers by unscrupulous Barbadian employers, mostly involved in the construction sector.
Of rootsy working-class origin, Lashley -- whose sudden removal from cabinet status in Prime Minister Owen Arthur's last reshuffle remains a mystery -- could readily empathise with workers, non-national and local, as victims of exploitation.
His lamentation of the tarnishing of Barbados' image by unethical practices of employers against migrant workers -- Vincentians, Guyanese and Jamaicans, have been so identified --was a strong echo of the disgust expressed, on more than one occasion, by Prime Minister Arthur himself.
Lashley was quite specific in his public appeal for "respect for the rights" of migrant workers -- work permit holders as well as the undocumented.
Those driven by xenophobia into crying out against the presence of "illegal" CARICOM nationals who, they feel, are crawling across the landscape of this country, should note that the immoral and unlawful practices by local employers giving Barbados a bad name, extend also to "documented" migrants.
As disclosed by Lashley, the migrant workers have complained to him of "unscrupulous contractors holding their passports and work permits; of making inappropriate demands and paying sub-standard rates.”
"These workers (undocumented ones in particular)" said Lashley, were afraid to take their problems to the relevant authorities, "fearing victimisation by employers and, ultimately, deportation..."
Since Prime Minister Arthur, some cabinet ministers, trade union and private sector officials have, from time to time, also denounced the unethical behaviour by some employers, a relevant question is: Why, to this day, no appropriate action has been taken to make an example of even one such unscrupulous employer?
It is appreciated that cooperation with the authorities by exploited migrant workers is necessary to help stamp out the unethical employment practices. But in moving against undocumented migrants, as part of their work, are immigration officers really interested in also exposing the class of unscrupulous employers?
Of concern is that the reported ongoing "cooperation" between the Ministry of Labour and the Immigration Department has not resulted in the exposure of a single unscrupulous employer. The Prime Minister is well placed to seek an explanation.
From my communication with them, both the Barbados Workers Union (BWU) and the Barbados Employers Confederation (BEC) are quite concerned about the harm being done by unscrupulous employers to the rights of migrant workers and, by extension, the reputation of this country.
New approaches to overcome this problem should, they feel, include strengthening of the inspectorate division of the Ministry of Labour and the Immigration Department.
It cannot be beyond the capacity of the Ministry of Labour and the Immigration Department, with some cooperation from migrant workers themselves, and unions like the BWU, to at least curb this scandal of exploitation of CARICOM nationals in Barbados where some employers -- not affiliated to the BEC -- combine denying these non-nationals of a fair wage with the immoral, controversial practice of holding on to their passports and work permits.
(Courtesy Barbados Weekend Nation)