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Labour and productivity issues will come under the microscope next month, when a public forum is held for persons interested in these critical and topical matters.
Labour and Productivity Symposium – Issues, Challenges, Solutions is the theme of the session, which will be held at Solidarity House, the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU), Harmony Hall, St. Michael, on Thursday, July 21, from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.
The panel will include Executive Director of the Barbados Employers’ Confederation, Tony Walcott; Chief Programme Manager at The Productivity Council, Anthony Sobers; and Senior Assistant General Secretary and Human Resources Manager of the BWU, Gillian Alleyne.
For additional information and to register for the symposium, the public should call Marcia Small-Burrowes or Serena Browne at 426-3492, ext. 246 or 244, or 243-4962. This seminar will be hosted by The Productivity Council and the BWU.
Productivity Officer at the Council, Jannell Arthur, underscored the importance of the seminar, saying it would give participants the opportunity to offer valuable suggestions, and hear the unique perspectives of practitioners and experts in the fields of productivity, industrial relations, employer and employee advocacy, as well as organisational leadership.
“With Barbados now poised to usher in its 50th anniversary of Independence, and as the levels of reflection, introspection and projection increase, the subject of productivity has again been brought to the fore, with suggestions from several quarters that it is a prerequisite for securing and sustaining the future growth of our nation,” Ms. Arthur said.
In addition, she stated that the current industrial relations climate has demonstrated that the role of labour, particularly as it relates to any productivity-focused agenda, must be dissected and addressed.
“By the same token, we recognise that any inroads to be made in the sphere of productivity growth will be realised only through critical dialogue with all integral parties, two of the most critical being organisational leadership and its employees,” she indicated.
sharon.austingill-moore@barbados.gov.bb