Established October 1895 Government committed to enforcing adequate health and safety conditions at work PAGE 2 Friday April 30, 2021 $2 VAT Inclusive Economic decline IN DEEP CRISIS continues THE Barbados economy has sector, along with the fallout in other COVID-19 pandemic, is now poised to “The decline in tourism, the National remained in a deep and prolonged economic activities and depressed recover. Pause in February,the re-introduction crisis, registering another double- private spending, contributed to the Saying that the short-term cost of of curfews, lower incomes, led to digit decline in economic activity fall in output during the quarter the impact of the pandemic on jobs reduced private spending in the during the first quarter of this under review. Last year, the economy and incomes has been considerable, quarter,” he told the media. year. contracted by over 18 per cent while Haynes said that hotel occupancy fell “The depressed activity was felt by Yesterday, the Governor of the declining three per cent between to 22 per cent, compared to about 68 restaurants, distribution, real estate, Central Bank of Barbados, Cleviston January and March 2020. per cent a year earlier. He indicated transportation and other business Haynes, said in the Bank’s 2021 first The economic slowdown has been that the long-stay Welcome Stamp services,” the Governor said. quarter economic review that the brought on by the COVID-19 programme helped to cushion some of The CBB’s top Economist pointed out economy contracted 19.8 per cent pandemic, which has affected all the the impact. that pent-up travel demand supports between January and March this year. key economic sectors. The Hotel industry heavily the outlook for an eventual post- According to Haynes, the economy Haynes told the media that tourism discounted its prices and in the process COVID-19 recovery. recorded its fourth consecutive output fell by a massive 96 per cent. recorded a decline in revenue. However, he noted that “tighter quarterly double-digit decline as On top of this, the Governor remarked On the upside, the use of some of the travel restrictions and protocols visitor arrivals plummeted on account the prospects for a robust economic hotels as quarantine facilities and including by Canada and the United of the unfavourable environment for turnaround this year has been staycation by residents softened the Kingdom, and the ongoing suspension travel. dampened despite the fact that the financial impact. “Even so, several of cruise operations prevented an early He said that the weakened tourism global economy, similarly hit by the hotels remained closed,” he stated. resurgence”. (JB) ‘Utter desperation’ for ex-LIAT workers By Krystal Penny Bowen IT has been utter desperation for unemployed local workers of a troubled cash-strapped regional airline. Tearful, desperate and frustrated Barbadian ex-LIAT workers are calling on the local government to assist in the matter of unpaid monies owed to them by their former employer. Some of the former employees joined the Opposition Leader, Bishop Joseph Atherley, at his conference room at the Worthing Corporate Centre yesterday. Captain Neil Cave, Pilot Ronald Field and Senior Cabin Crew instructor, Kelly-ann Franklin, expressed their plight as they all have been left in limbo – facing persistent creditors as they try desperately to survive and keep their mortgages or rented properties. Cave, who spoke first, gave an overview of the past events. He indicated that it has been 393 days or over a year since 94 workers from Barbados have been laid off from LIAT. ‘Not a cent’ in compensation He revealed that he and his colleagues are aware of the ongoing pandemic and natural disaster (ashfall of La Soufrière). But he stressed that they Former pilot, Captain Neil Cave, looks have received “not a cent” of what is due Opposition Leader Bishop Joseph Atherley (right) during a press conference at despondent as he listens to his col- in severance, notice pay and vacation his conference room at Worthing Corporate Centre yesterday. leagues talk about their current plight. pay. It has been over a year since 94 work- He reminded the media that the over the months of 2020. After receiving challenges they have faced due to their ers have been laid off without any workers were laid off temporarily for a small payment of $2,400 in August, work status with the regional airline. form of compensation from LIAT air- three months (April to June) due to the 2020, Cave indicated that while this Both Field and Franklin spoke about lines. start of the COVID-19 pandemic during was appreciated, it “didn’t go very far”. their dire financial situation and while 2020. Cave stated that in their contract, For many of the workers, the stress of both are coping, others have had to give to meet with the former LIAT workers. this action would have triggered the situation has led to deep depression up their apartments or leave the They are currently awaiting a reply vacation pay. He said that since then and one attempted suicide. Cave country. In recent times, the ex-LIAT from her office. they have been engaging with the local also disclosed some of the legal, workers wrote a letter of desperation “It is a bad situation. As Bajans labour union and various governments labour rights, employee and regional to Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley would say, ‘It dread,’” said Cave. 2 • Friday April 30, 2021 The Barbados Advocate Government committed to enforcing adequate health and safety conditions at work “OUR commitment as “What a coincidence it home-grown adjustment governments to safe- is for us that Safe Day is programme, within the guard decent work celebrated on April 28th, context of an IMF-spon- and adequate health which I must tell you sored programme and and safety conditions is the same day as our our desire, as we have at work, can never be National Heroes’ Day in done, to continue to re- overstated.” Barbados. What is even duce our debt levels even Prime Minister of more striking, is that further than what we had Barbados, Mia Amor each of our ten National done in the debt restruc- Mottley, stressed the Heroes laboured tire- turing,” she added. above as representatives lessly on behalf of the She however noted from governments in working classes whom that even with Barbados’ Latin America and the they represented, to en- prevailing economic cir- Prime Minister of Barbados, Mia Amor Mottley. Caribbean, employers’ sure that their inalien- cumstances, her Cabinet and workers’ organisa- able rights and freedoms agreed on a set of meas- Vinícius Pinheiro, start of the pandemic, and economic crisis is tions and occupational were recognised, and that ures that would mitigate ILO Director for just over a year ago, the the reality of millions of safety and health special- they would be permitted the sudden vulnerability Latin America and the crisis had cost the region people in the region, he ists gathered for a large the freedom to associate of workers during the Caribbean, who was also nearly one million lives, noted that “after all we virtual regional meeting in a safe environment,” first period of lockdown in attendance at the destroyed 26 million jobs, have experienced, it is held on World Day for Mottley told those gath- last year, and subse- meeting, stated: “This and caused several busi- not impossible for us to Safety and Health at ered. quently after that. April 28th has a very nesses to close. reorder priorities and put Work Day, also known as Mottley acknowledged Mottley meanwhile special connotation.” He Pointing out that occupational safety and Safe Day 2021 on April that navigating the stressed that discussions recalled that since the COVID-19’s health, social health at the top”. 28. It was hosted by the COVID-19 pandemic about the importance of International Labour has not been easy for occupational health and Organisation (ILO) Office Barbados or for any other safety in the world of for Latin America and tourism-dependent econ- COVID-19 must take on New courses of action necessary the Caribbean, to address omy, as we are all still a sense of urgency, espe- the challenges to safety reeling from the fact cially for frontline work- By Cara L. Jean-Baptiste “It changes the land- She believed that and health in the work- that travel has stopped ers who go out each day scape in a way that new through using this publi- place, which have been globally. to protect the lives of COVID-19 has created a territory is uncovered, cation, enterprises would posed by the COVID-19 “In our own case in others, no matter how demand for new courses new players emerge and be able to seize the oppor- crisis. Barbados, add to that a difficult at times. of action to be created in previous players in the tunities in these gaps, order to achieve economic past constructs are re- seize the gap and produc- development. moved or sidelined. In tion shortages as it pre- Speaking during the that moment, there is a sented the opportunity to recent virtual official new normal. It is the ca- introduce our citizens for launch of the publication, pacity for adaptation that local and regional goods “The New Normal – A matters most, rather than before we are swamped Post-COVID Primer for how strong or weak you again by extra-regional Business”, Minister in the were in the past,” she said. goods. Ministry of Foreign Affairs “Post-COVID, every- “Can business people and Foreign Trade, thing in the past 15 years use this book to be in- Sandra Husbands, noted demands a new every- spired to be a new gener- that COVID-19 caused a thing or a feasible future.