Barbadian unionist honoured for helping Guyanese seafarers
Guyana Chronicle
August 3, 2003
GUYANA’S Honorary Consul in Barbados, Norman Faria recently paid tribute to a veteran Barbadian trade unionist, who assisted Guyanese seafarers during the harsh economic times of the 1970s and 1980s.
In presenting an Award of Appreciation to Lorenzo Coward, the former head of the Barbados office of the National Union of Seamen (NUS), Consul Faria said such a system of placement through the union hall worked well and cut out what he termed, “undesirable intermediaries.”
“Barbados’ relatively stable and strong economy continues to attract Guyanese contract labour. While we encourage our people to stay at home and build up Guyana, we recognise the freedom of persons to work overseas on temporary contracts. There is hardly a construction site in Barbados without Guyanese labour.
The Consulate, however, continues to act upon a number of reports about exploitation, including paying of less wages for comparable work done by Bajans, non-payment of NIS and work permit problems. The workers are also being preyed upon by undesirable intermediaries such as so-called immigration consultants and lawyers,” Faria said.
He added: “While supporting the eventual genuine freedom of movement throughout CARICOM (Caribbean Community), the Guyana Government would consider deepening our commitment to providing present employment opportunities by working for a better, planned system.
“Barbados, as you may know, is a relatively developed Caribbean country with a high standard of living. But it still arranges, through its Ministry of Labour,for Barbadian workers to get contract work on farms in Canada and the hotels in the U.S,” he said.
Consul Faria, who worked as a Public Relations Officer and Researcher with the NUS office in Barbados during the 1980s, praised Coward and the union’s assistance to Guyanese seamen by placing them on jobs on ships when they came to the island on their own during the hard economic times of the 1970s and 1980s.
The Barbados office of the British-based NUS office closed in the late 1980s when that union amalgamated with the railroad workers union to form a new body.
“This system of going through the union hall, or through a government Ministry as in the case with Barbados, works well to prevent an anarchical situation which is fertile ground for parasitic middle elements and exploitative employers to flourish,” he said.
