The writer of the July 19, 2009 Amandala editorial could not have been more fawning when he gushed “What Prime Minister Dean Barrow has done is separate himself from the corporate greed and the political corruption.  In other words, in real political terms he has appealed to the union base which removed the PUP from power and gave him the Golden Fleece.  So far, Mr. Barrow himself appears to remember when.”  His assumption is that PM Barrow’s credibility is above reproach.

In the writer’s analysis PM Barrow, if no one else in the United Democratic Party could be counted on to stand at the side of the unions no matter what the cost because he would never forget that it was they, who had helped him finally to reach the mountain top as the leader of the country.  But he could not have been farthest away from the truth as it did not take long for PM Barrow himself to blow that belief in him right out of the water, and no less on national television for all to see.

Last Wednesday in a 7 News interview, PM Barrow blindsided the unions, throwing them under the bus when he decreed that “We will continue in the future to operate in the way we have in the past … They cannot begin to develop a sense of entitlement, they cannot begin to feel that it is their right to serve on every implementation unit … No man … I make no apologies for it.”  It now seems that the unions’ molly-cuddling of the UDP in the run up to the last general elections were all for naught.

And PM Barrow left no doubt that the political honeymoon with the unions is over when he later declared in a News 5 interview that “If the NTUCB wants to continue with the kind of irresponsible rhetoric I’ve been hearing from them, if they want to threaten war, bring it on.  There will be no retreat absolutely from what we intend to do.”  But there is no cause for his tough stance because he was the one who raised their expectations.  Clearly, there will be no pay back for their support.

Aside from dashing the hope of the unions of a meaningful partnership, PM Barrow’s words show that there is no clear distinction between the present UDP and the UDP of old under the leadership of Dr. Manuel Esquivel.  The reality is that it remains divisive and unwilling to sacrifice for the good of the public.  It is no wonder that it is perceived as petty as ever, with its rabid attack dogs at the ready to rip into anyone who dares to question the ability, actions, or the motives of its leaders.   

In hindsight, the UDP only allied itself with the unions because their interests converged closely before the elections.  It rode the backs of the unions, who became the agitators, the muscle, who put pressure on the then government.  But since taking office, PM Barrow has shown an unwillingness to meet the expectations that they had once he came to power.  Yet it comes as no surprise because there is no way that he would allow anyone to prevent the UDP from enjoying the spoils of victory.

But the unions are right to be peeved at the betrayal.  They have been dismissed and treated with contempt at every turn in their attempts to contribute to the country’s development, particularly in their efforts to expose lack of good governance.  If you can stomach it take a listen to the ranting of Housing Minister Hon. Michael Finnegan as he berates them for perceived slights.  It seems that someone does not want to be caught with his hands stuck in the Hugo Chavez cookie jar.

To top it off the government’s proposed Belize Constitution Seventh Amendment Act seeks in part to curtail or eliminate the role of the unions in representing its members for better benefits and working conditions or for unjustifiable firings and transfers.  Sadly, it also would allow the rights and the privileges fought for by some past union leaders to fall by the wayside, and make it easier for the government to fire, transfer, victimize, or curb employees’ rights to a fair appeals process.

Meanwhile other social partners, such as the Association of Concerned Belizeans, have not suffered the same fate as the unions.  PM Barrow has rewarded many ACB members, who were already well to do, with high paying cushy government jobs or appointments to quasi government boards such as the Social Security Board.  Just now, they have guaranteed access to the high level politicians they helped elect, and are living high on power and influence perhaps even shaping government policy.

At the end of the day, the public cannot expect that the once vociferous ACB will speak out against the abuses and the injustices committed by the government or pressure it to offer restitution to those wronged.  Even worse, we cannot expect it to express solidarity with the unions anytime soon as its wily members are unwilling to lose their place, particularly by their own doing, at the public trough.  While a famous ex-wife, who is still counting her alimony, would disagree, that is a bad thing!

The unions must not sit quietly.  They must bring their weight to bear on the government to make it clear that there is no way that it would be allowed to shy away from its pre-election promises.  They must assert the right of their members to free expression and a voice in the day to day affairs at their workplaces, and demand that they be treated fairly.  Towards these ends, their options of go slows, sickouts, and work to rule to bring the government to the bargaining table remain appropriate.

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