There is a suggestion that Barbados may need to adopt a new ethos for employment relations in order to negate the present economic and labour challenges.
This observation came from Labour Officer, Wayne Sobers, who encouraged employers to invest more in their human resource base and see them as ‘partners’ in the growth and development of the business.
He was speaking during the opening ceremony of the Labour Department’s seminar entitled “Labour Legislation and Industrial Relations Best Practice” at the Warrens’ Office Complex, Warrens, St. Michael.
The seminar is the first in a series which will provide a forum for employers, employees and other stakeholders to be kept abreast of pertinent legislative issues.
Citing the development of the Social Partnership which came out of the economic challenges of the early 1990s, Mr. Sobers added that this process of collaboration has enjoyed many years of success and growth.
Much in the same way, he said employers, employees and other stakeholders in labour must come together to develop new ways in which to survive the challenges which presently face Barbados presently face.
“We must ask how do you manage a business for sustainability, progress and growth …partnership must be more than a word. Managers are very surprised by the ideas coming from their employees and this creates a buy-in…everyone is on board and pushing in the same direction. We need to release the creative enterprise of our employees,” Mr. Sobers opined.