BWU vs LIME

On the heels of the actions of the BSTU against the Alexandra Principal, (a situation that is yet to be settled, with dispatch), we are now faced with a bigger battle. The all powerful Barbados Workers Union, (BWU) versus the mighty LIME!

LIME workers are outraged that LIME would insult them by offering a mere 2 ½ % wage increase, after they helped the company to turn a healthy profit. An interim report from LIME indicates before tax profits of 45 million dollars in the first six months of the financial year with a projection of over $200 million in the next six months. Reportedly, LIME had offered its workers in Jamaica a 19-percent wage increase though it operates at a loss. The BWU therefore countered with a demand for a 17% wage increase which LIME answered with a 7% offer.

LIME on the other hand insists that , “We have a good offer on the table and we have not closed off the door to negotiating with the union. We cannot recklessly agree to extravagant wage increases that may have a devastating long-term effect on our business. Our offer is based on what the business can sustain given our operating costs, investment, the commitment to maintaining jobs and staying competitive,” says Head of Human Resources at LIME, Stephanie Catling-Birmingham. “Over the last three years, LIME has placed a huge emphasis on maintaining jobs, building the business and positioning it so that there is minimal impact on headcount. The international economic climate hasn’t bypassed us. Our business has also been impacted by rising utility costs and increases in the inputs needed to stay viable and competitive.”

So if I understand you correctly, LIME, profits of $245,000.000.00 in one year and you are finding it difficult to stay viable and competitive? Please.

Sir Roy Trotman and the hierarchy of the BWU must be secretly laughing at this opportunity to flex their muscles. It is companies like LIME that makes the unions maintain their relevance. All it takes for Trade Unions to become irrelevant in modern Free Market Capitalism is that working people are treated with respect economically, socially, morally and ethically. At the heart of Capitalism there exists a fundamental paradox. This being that the interests of employers and employees are not always congruent. Particular when it comes to wages and conditions of work. One must always remember that this paradox then becomes a paradox in itself in we cannot agree on the causes of this possible conflict. Either it is the greed of capital exploiting employees or it is purely abhorrent employees or employers, bad apples, who would cause trouble anywhere. Whichever, path we take in this debate is irrelevant in that businesses are there for profit and this will be achieved at any expense.

Capitalism does what capitalism does, it makes money. That is the foundation on which our standard of living stands.

Whatever one thinks of Trade Unions there is a one fundamental truism. Trade Unions actually work within the confines of capitalism in that their main and only reason for existence, "is a continuous association of wage-earners for the purpose of maintaining or improving the conditions of their working lives." Trade Unions are in fact integral to the survival of Capitalism because they add legitimacy to its actions. Capitalism, to this point in time, has allowed Trade Unions to exist, as they know the above definition is as true today as it was in 1920. Trade Unions are basically allowed to play at the margins of capitalist society. Trade Unions are the voice of working people they represent their grievances on pay and working conditions.

Using a war metaphor they have and will win some battles in their quest for justice for working people but they will never attack the centre of power and bring about the destruction of capitalism. The periodic ebb and flow of open conflict between sections of capital and Trade Unions allows the outside observer to see "democracy" in action. Both sides deemed equally powerful, struggling to come to an acceptable negotiated order. This is the act that legitimises Capitalism.

At one time, I questioned the need for Trade Unions in a modern society like Barbados where laws have been enacted to guarantee workers rights, where a number of our National Heroes were recognised because of their work in the Trade Union movement.

Then I asked myself, “What will legitimate Capitalism’s existence in a world without Trade Unions?”

The “Personnel” department of old has now become the Human Resources (HR) department of today and the belief in a flimsy, thrown-together HR argument that the interests of both employers and employees are the same unfortunately will not last 200 years as the ideals of Trade Unionism has. Nor will HR legitimate Capitalism. The mob not fettered by the restrictions of Trade Unionism will go straight to the source of their perceived grievances and truly bring about the demise of Capitalism.

Therefore, we the public will sit back and be treated to the heavyweights punching it out in a display as fake as a WWF wrestling match all in an attempt to convince the working man that he is justified in paying his dues to a union that can fight for the rights he is already guaranteed by law. The media too will play their part and give full coverage to the contest because in the end it is all about market share and the advertising dollar and strikes and threats of strikes attracts audiences. The Government will welcome this distraction from the fact that Standard and Poors has downgraded our economic outlook from “stable” to “negative” and that they are struggling to meet their financial commitments. The Chamber Of Commerce and the Barbados Employers Confederation among others,will all state their opinions in an effort to "represent" their respective memberships and who knows the Prime Minister may again be asked to ride in and save the day, (with dispatch), when the Minister of Labour fails! You can't make this stuff up! But..... maybe you can.

The following quote sums it up nicely.

“Capitalism needs to function like a game of tug-of-war. Two opposing sides need to continually struggle for dominance, but at no time can either side be permitted to walk away with the rope.” Pete Holiday

Barbados, sit back, relax and enjoy as we “Get ready to Rrrrrruuummble!”

Mr. Jones...When is Christ Coming Back?

In response to the question, "When will the Alexandra School impasse be resolved?" The Minister of Education, Mr. Ronald Jones is quoted in a Friday newspaper as saying, "If I was able to tell you that, I will be able to tell you when Christ is coming back."

I have reached a stage in my life where very little upsets me but this statement pissed me off. Here is the Minister of Education, the de facto Deputy Prime Minister of Barbados, publicly admitting that he is powerless to put teachers at Alexandra School to teach my daughter!

I purposely did not write this article immediately after reading this comment but forced myself to wait until today , Errol Barrow Day, in the hope that time would allow me to see the situation in a different perspective. I was hoping that the PTA would disclose the substance of the meeting held with Mr. Jones and that some resolution would have been in sight by the start of classes on Monday. However, instead I received the following letter from the president of the PTA in an email on Saturday, 21 January at 6:34 pm.

Dear Parents & Guardians

In the last 24 hours, we have received a large number of emails relating to the Executive meeting with the Officials of the Ministry of Education and there seems to be much dissatisfaction over the lack of details given. As a responsible body chosen to represent you, we are sure that you would wish that we would respect any accepted protocols related to such meetings with the representative groups involved in this matter. Any such breach could result in an immediate halt in the type of reception which we have received to date.

After a meeting at which the Ministry of Education considered several positive proposals put forward by The PTA Executive, many encouraging decisions, which would place our children back in a ‘classroom teaching’ setting, were made. However, as with most matters of such a serious nature, the Ministry requested that we give them a short but reasonable period of time to prove their good faith by putting measures in place to accommodate our requests. In the interim, we agreed not to disclose any matters that had been decided at the said meeting and as such we are unable to provide you with any further details as this may impact on the implementation of any of the said measures that were decided upon.

We are also sure that you are aware that the Hon. Prime Minister of Barbados met with the BSTU and the Minister of Education met with BAPPS yesterday. These meetings are in line with the objectives that we are trying to achieve - the teaching of all students in a class environment on or before Wednesday this week. We have been promised by the Officials of the Ministry of Education that firm decisions will be made by Tuesday latest.

We sincerely hope that this would give you a clearer understanding that we have no choice but to wait until the Government's position is made clear within the next 72 hours.

We encourage you as parents to continue to stand together on this matter and to retain your passion for the mandatory education/teaching of our children in a classroom setting. We are unchanged in our resolve to stand shoulder to shoulder on this but we plead with you to respect the protocol of information distribution. Should our requests prove to have fallen on deaf ears, we will resort to our earlier plans of picketing and anything else which is necessary to achieve our goals on behalf of our children.

We encourage persons to forward the information to any parent not copied in this email.

Please note that the next general meeting of the parent body will be held either Tuesday or Wednesday depending on when we have received correspondence from the Ministry. We shall provide confirmation of the date, time and venue using the media, email and telephone.

Thank you.

Regards

Carl Benskin

PTA President

I have all respect for Mr. Benskin and his expediency in this matter but I am still pissed off! This Government to date has not impressed upon the people of Barbados that they are particularly adept at making the tough decisions and taking decisive action. If it was concerning a less important issue than the futures of the over 800 students at Alexandra School, I, like Mr. Benskin, would take the diplomatic approach and say let's wait and see what they do. Maybe just maybe, Mr. Jones and Mr. Stuart will, "grow a pair", between them and bring an end to this travesty. However, history teaches to be wary of politicians and their promises.

This situation has gone beyond the realms of diplomacy. A case must be stated for decisive action to be taken now. While it was Mr. Jones's comment that was the proverbial "straw that broke the camel's back", the thing that really got my blood boiling was an issue brought to my attention by my daughter, a student of Alexandra. She showed me some comments that were made on Facebook by a member of the current teaching staff at Alexandra, in response to comments by a student. This has further incensed the already frustrated student body.

Please judge for yourself. (Lets hope she is not an English Teacher!)

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Debra Springer-Bryan <http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1007903941>  What a shameful thing to do. Shoot all ya nasty arrows at ya teachers but look at the ones pointing back at u. Call out the students who skip classes, call out the students who refuse to submit home work, call out the students who cuss teachers, call out the students ............ I have been teaching long and know the same people who help ya up do not help ya down. These same students will say to a teacher today that this teacher does this and the next and in the next breath say the same thing about the same teacher they were complaining to. What goes around comes around. We all have short comings and they complain to us about ALL. Encourage them to do right but be careful how u do it. Where do teachers assemble and where do students assemble? Examine facts, take your position but do it right. I always say to my students have a voice but when u step on the rude side i will side step. U do not have to like me the person but u should respect me the person.
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 <http://www.facebook.com/#>
Debra Springer-Bryan <http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1007903941>  When that student wrote his article i hope that ALL teachers should note that although he gave some praise to those who are still at school, he included them in all his NASTY remarks becuase there are some who we know he also mean who are still at the school. Since students are so good to write (i a m very happy to c this) go and read the article again. Stop letting someone attach your name to what they have written. I hope that when debates start we are not straved for students. Do not ever bite off the hand that feeds u. Ask this 1 question. Who brought the students into this? Who are the ones using the students to rally the cause? I have no plan in using Fb to trash and scandalise any person name. However, some past students have been using BB to rally the cause but who do u call and which teachers names do u use when u try to get on the school compound and u r denied entry by who? becuase u did not make an appointment? Also the same students who r missing work have u worked on your SBA so that when teachers return they do not have to put u on a list because u have nothing to submit. Presently, only 3 English teachers are not at school and there are 7 teachers in the department with two at the top who can teach and then 2 more who have been retained in other areas in the school. Do the math. Oh, I am sorry the school is not being taught so it will not work out that English classes should be well covered.
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I must ask. "Is this the kind of remarks that a teacher should be making on a forum like Facebook? Mr. Jones, do you consider this appropriate behaviour for a member of your teaching staff? Ms. Redman is this acceptable to the BSTU? Facebook is the province of the children. They live there. My daughter and her over 1500 friends, mainly from schools across the length and breath of Barbados, were not amused. "Do not ever bite off the hand that feed u?". Are you serious Debra? Saying that to your students? My daughter, and I would assume, other Alexandra students take this as an open threat to keep their mouths shut or be victimized by the teachers when they return to school.

Debra, you have the unmitigated gall to ask who brought the students into this? I will not dignify the asininity of that question with a  comment.

It is scary to know that you, "have been teaching long." (Is that a new subject?)

Mr. Jones, as a parent I am not comfortable with a teacher, (whose salary is paid by my tax dollars), making veiled threats to students and especially not to my child! I await whatever actions you decide to take before Wednesday this week but I will like to put you on notice that I am not comfortable with the teachers that are currently on strike being allowed to return to Alexandra to be responsible for my daughter's education and I expect some action to be taken against the likes of Debra Springer-Bryan. Enough said for now.

The BSTU has consistently demonstrated that they are willing to support any action of a member of their union regardless of the levels of incompetence or ineptitude shown. However, it has been alleged a striking member of the teaching staff at Alexandra has taken the opportunity of the ongoing strike to attend classes at the Erdiston Teachers Training College. Ms. Redman, please tell me that this is not so!
In the words of my daughter, "That is a FAIL!! We are not being taught but she is going back to school. They really don't care nothing about us!"

Is this the kind of behaviour that the  BSTU  condones?

Mr. Jones, if you are aware of the comments of a teacher on Facebook and the actions of a teacher neglecting her students to further her own education, how in the name of all that is right and decent can you tell me that you do not know when this impasse will end?

YOU NEED TO END IT NOW!

Following the tennis game of back and forth between you and the Prime Minister is giving the country a stiff neck. You were elected to represent the people's interest and we the people demand action NOW!
Get new teachers into Alexandra! Even if you have to pull them from other schools, DO IT NOW! Forget the protocols and the red tape. Take action now and deal with the fallout later. It is not like Governments in this country do not have a history of taken action first and enacting legislation to legitimize their activities later.

Secondly, deal with the delinquent teachers. I  honestly believe that it is not in the best interest of the students of Alexandra to have the teachers currently off the job return to that school. However, I will wait until after Wednesday next week to comment further.

In every term of office there is an incident, the handling of which determines how that administration is judged in the eyes of the public.This is it for Mr. Stuart's team. We eagerly await Tuesday or Wednesday next week. I leave you with this quote:-

"Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be."  Sydney J. Harris

The BSTU needs to read Sun Tzu

I have often been accused of having a regimental mind. I believe one should live their lives according to a set of rules and naturally my early exposure to military discipline have shaped my view of the world.  Now having said that let me continue my assessment of the current situation at the Alexandra School.  I was tempted to approach this article as a parent of a child preparing for CXC at the Alexandra School and use this space as a forum for venting the frustrations I feel at the current situation. However, that ever present discipline kicked in and I am going to fore go emotion for logical observation.

I must ask. "Was I the only person not surprised by the fact that the BSTU embarrassed the Prime Minister by refusing to meet with his appointed committee to try to bring a resolution to this affair?"

From the start of this impasse the Barbados Secondary Teachers Union, (BSTU), has taken the position to withdraw the labour of their members from the school until the current principal is "separated" from the school. This was their position and by taking that position I immediate saw that this was going to be a problem. Thirteen (13) days ago I called for the Minister of Education to intervene because I saw that the approach the BSTU was taking was fundamentally flawed if the required result was a amicable resolution of perceived differences. As a trained military strategist I saw that the BSTU was not entering into a negotiation as is the case with most industrial relations disputes, they were going to WAR!

As trade unionist the BSTU would have been familiar with the collective bargaining process which comprises of five core steps:

Preparation: This phase involves composition of a negotiation team. The negotiation team should consist of representatives of both the parties with adequate knowledge and skills for negotiation. In this phase both sides examine their own situation in order to develop the issues that they believe will be most important. The first thing to be done is to determine whether there is actually any reason to negotiate at all. A correct understanding of the main issues to be covered and intimate knowledge of operations, working conditions, production norms and other relevant conditions is required.

Discussion: Here, the parties decide the ground rules that will guide the negotiations. A process well begun is half done and this is no less true in case of collective bargaining. An environment of mutual trust and understanding is also created so that the collective bargaining agreement would be reached.

Proposition: This phase involves the initial opening statements and the possible options that exist to resolve them. In a word, this phase could be described as ‘brainstorming’. The exchange of messages takes place and opinion of both the parties is sought.

Bargaining: negotiations are easy if a problem solving attitude is adopted. This stage comprises the time when ‘what ifs’ and ‘supposals’ are set forth and the drafting of agreements take place.

Settlement: Once the parties are through with the bargaining process, a consensual agreement is reached upon wherein both the parties agree to a common decision regarding the problem or the issue. This stage is described as consisting of effective joint implementation of the agreement through shared visions, strategic planning and negotiated change.

The BSTU decided to bypass the first four(4) of these stages so how can we expect them to reach stage Five(5)?

By stating their non-negotiable position they effectively declared war. However, since they were not trained in the strategies of war they made a few fundamental mistakes. They ignored the following principles as espoused by Sun Tzu in his definitive work, "The Art of War."

"To a surrounded enemy, you must leave a way of escape." Sun Tzu

"Confront them with annihilation, and they will then survive; plunge them into a deadly situation, and they will then live. When people fall into danger, they are then able to strive for victory." Sun Tzu

Issuing ultimatums leave no room for negotiation. It only means that you are forcing the other party to fight for their lives and they will thus respond by fighting even harder that they would have done if given a choice. The Principal was forced to rally his supporters and gather his forces in preparation for a fight to the death, thereby resulting in the stand off we see today. For there to be a hope of a settlement all parties must be willing to negotiate. The BSTU obviously never had any intention of negotiating. However, it is obvious that  they have no clearly defined battle strategy and their tactics appear to be one of laying siege to the education system in Barbados.

"The general, unable to control his irritation, will launch his men to the assault like swarming ants, 

with the result that one-third of his men are slain, while the town still remains untaken. Such are the disastrous effects of a siege." 

Sun Tzu

Unfortunately, the ones that will suffer most in these circumstances is the children and we as a society cannot and should not allow this to happen. The BSTU, by declaring war against the, "inability of the Ministry of Education to address their concerns,"  have declared war on the Trade Union Movement of Barbados, the Government of Barbados and more importantly on the Children of Barbados. The BSTU were obviously not aware of the following:- 

"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win." Sun Tzu

My major concern regarding the effect of this war on our children was highlighted by my daughter, a student of Alexandra. She feels betrayed by the actions of the teachers and it is the general consensus among her peers that the absent teachers' blatant disregard for the effect their actions will have on their education and consequently their future is an unforgivable act and that they will never be able to relate in the same way to these teachers again.  The powers that be are now faced with the fact that neither the students or the parents have any confidence in the ability of the striking teachers to act in the best interest of the children at Alexandra School. Even if this impasse was to finish tomorrow, I for one would be uncomfortable with these teachers being again put in charge of my child.

Where do we go from here?

Mr. Prime Minister as Commander in Chief , on one hand you are faced with a General, (Minister of Education) who has just lost the Battle of Constitution Road to a mutinous band of renegades, (the BSTU), and is in retreat. The BSTU, who you thought was under your command, has launched a vicious attack on the most vulnerable members of society and your people are under siege.  What is your next move?

Sun Tzu said: The art of war recognises nine varieties of ground: (1) Dispersive ground; (2) facile ground; (3) contentious ground; (4) open ground; (5) ground of intersecting highways; (6) serious ground; (7) difficult ground; (8) hemmed-in ground; (9) desperate ground. Mr. Prime Minister in December you were on serious ground, you have now passed through difficult to hemmed-in ground and you can see desperate ground in the near distance. 

What should your strategy be?

Sun Tzu teaches that on hemmed-in ground, resort to stratagem.  Mr. Prime Minister, it is time to get creative. The Art of War states in regards to hemmed-ground :-

"In such a position, some scheme must be devised which will suit the circumstances, and if we can succeed in deluding the enemy, the peril may be escaped." This is exactly what happened on the famous occasion when Hannibal was hemmed in among the mountains on the road to Casilinum, and to all appearances entrapped by the dictator Fabius.  When night came on, bundles of twigs were fastened to the horns of some 2000 oxen and set on fire, the terrified animals being then quickly driven along the mountain side towards the passes which were beset by the enemy. The strange spectacle of these rapidly moving lights so alarmed and discomfited the Romans that they withdrew from their position, and Hannibal's army passed safely through.

The lesson here is simple. Something decisive and dramatic needs to be done. Mr. Prime Minister, I listened to your "heads will role speech" last year and I am still waiting for the guillotine to fall. At the  St. Lucy Parish Church, during a service of thanksgiving in honour of the Right Excellent Errol Walton Barrow, I listened to you described the teachers’ strike at the Alexandra Secondary School as, "a lot of unnecessary controversy." You went on to say, “I want to assure you that I am going to give this matter my immediate attention.” 

“I have been hearing the arguments for and against what has been going on at that school. I have been hearing who is right and who is wrong. However, I know who are not wrong – the students of Alexandra School are not wrong,”  you stated.

“However, our children have been left at a disadvantage, as we await the appropriate processes to work,” you said.

“The situation at Alexandra will be put to an end. This adolescent exhibition of immaturity has to be brought to an end.” 

Nice words but why does the following quote come to mind?

...... but a walking shadow, a poor player
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.

Macbeth, Act 5, Scene 5

It is indeed ironic that. Mr. Patrick Frost, the esteemed gentleman and teacher who first taught me to appreciate the beauty of words like these whilst I was his student at the Lodge School,  should have his name adorn the building wherein this present flawed strategy was conceptualised  by the BSTU. However, I digress.

Desperate ground is on the horizon, Mr. Prime Minister. Sun Tzu teaches:-

On desperate ground, fight.  Sun Tzu

Those who were called skillful leaders of old knew how to drive a wedge between the enemy's front and rear to prevent co-operation between his large and small divisions, to hinder the good troops from rescuing the bad, the officers from rallying their men. When the enemy's men were united, they managed to keep them in disorder. If asked how to cope with a great host of the enemy in orderly array and on the point of marching to the attack, I should say: "Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will." 

Rapidity is the essence of war.  Sun Tzu

I will only say to you Mr. Prime Minister, that a job is is a dear possession in these difficult times and there must be some consequence for refusing to do it when ordered to by your employers. Carpe Diem Mr. Prime Minister, the next move is yours. We are watching. I leave you with this quote by another famous Chinese General :-

"Knowing the enemy enables you to take the offensive, knowing yourself enables you to stand on the defensive. Attack is the secret of defense; defense is the planning of an attack. It would be hard to find a better epitome of the root-principle of war." Chang Yu 

Can We Keep the Donkey in 2012 or Will We have to Sell our Ass?

As I sat here reflecting on the past year and contemplating 2012 the chorus of Popsicle's song, "Don't Sell Cornwell", kept repeating itself in my head.  No matter how hard I tried I could not get the donkey out of my head so thus assified I started to write. (Yes, it is a word the Urban Dictionary defines "assified" as "to be made ass, by something that is already ass in state or being", I kid you not!)

It dawned on me that the Globe Cinema that had played such a major part of my young life was no more. I can still vividly remember the many Wednesday afternoons when I would join my fellow truant Lodge School students as we met with like minded Combermere boys and the occasional Harrison College deviant, for the 12:30 show in the pit to see the latest Kung Fu flick. The next three hours we would be entertained by the exploits of the Silver Fox, Cheng Sing or Chung Li as we discussed the merits of the Snake, Mantis, Crane, Tiger and Drunken Master techniques.

And who can forget the Saturday afternoons. This time at 4:30 in the House with your sweetheart or, (if you were really trying to impress and hoped to spend some quality time in Queen's Park afterwards), in the Balcony. I would take the memories of watching Endless Love and the Blue Lagoon in the Globe (with my darling of the time), to my grave as some of the fondest memories of my teenage life.
My wish is that some entity would realise the value a 1000 plus seat venue could be to the performing arts in Barbados and lease or purchase the property before it follows the Empire Cinema into infamy. This is one donkey we want to keep in 2012.

As I was thinking about jackasses my mind somehow, inexplicably, swung towards the current DLP government. 2011 ended in a flurry with rumours of attempted coups and denials of conspiracies and a leader insinuating that there will be consequences for actions planned, however badly executed. The year has started and the Prime Minister has stuck to his usual modis operandi, epitomising the premise that Silence is Golden. The belief that  keeping quiet and being thought an ass, is better than opening your mouth and removing all doubt, might be useful for some members of our current government but is not what we expect from our leaders. Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task." Mr. Prime Minister, if you cannot garner the support of your colleagues, how can you hope to command the support of voters later this year? Mr. Prime Minister, I don't know who you have advising you and how much you are paying them but I am going to offer you some free advice.  This is not an original concept. It was given to all, "future leaders", as we graduated from the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. It is as follows:- "You must have an honest understanding of who you are, what you know, and what you can do. Also, note that it is the followers, not the leader or someone else who determines if the leader is successful. If they do not trust or lack confidence in their leader, then they will be uninspired. To be successful you have to convince your followers, not yourself or your superiors, that you are worthy of being followed." As my primary school teacher used to say, "A word to the wise is sufficient." You can decide if you are going to "keep the donkey or sell your ass this election year."

It seems that 2012 is definitely going to be the year of the donkey. The Barbados Secondary Teachers Union in their wisdom has decided that 2012 is the year that they should try to remove Principal Jeff Broome from the Alexandra School. My daughter is in the Fourth Form at Alexandra and I am therefore paying very close attention to the situation as it unfolds. What annoys me most about the BSTU and their issues with Mr. Broome is the timing of their protests. Mr. Broome made his latest "offending" comments before the start of the Christmas break. If the point of the current protest was to demonstrate to the Ministry of Education that efforts must be made to somehow censor Mr. Broome for his comments, the protest should had been immediate. If the teachers of Alexandra School had spent their Christmas holidays picketing the Ministry Of Education, I would have been impressed. But to take the asinine approach of waiting until school restarts so as to disrupt the education of the students proves that Mr. Broome's comments about the commitment of some teachers were more than justified. Mr. Minister of Education, how long will you allow this travesty to continue. Mr.Broome has the backing of the parents and I hope that of your ministry. No one can question his commitment to the education of the children in his charge. Can the same be said about the teachers that have withdrawn their services?

Mr. Minister, since 2012 seems to have put me in the mood for given unsolicited advice I will remind you of a phrase popularly used to describe the British Infantry of World War I. That is. "Lions led by Donkeys."
However, as a student of history you will no doubt know that the origins of the phrase pre-date the First World War. During the Crimean War a letter was reportedly sent home by a British soldier quoting a Russian officer who had said that British soldiers were ‘lions commanded by asses'. This was immediately after the failed attempt to storm the fortress of Sevastopol. My advice to you, Mr. Minister is this, "Do not let this phrase describe the relationship between your ministry,our principals and our teachers." Just so you know, I consider Mr. Broome to be a lion.
My friends, all that remains is for me to leave you with this quote:-

“If one man says to thee, ''Thou art a donkey',' pay no heed. If two speak thus, purchase a saddle.” The Talmud

Some things aren't meant to be known. Only believed.

As I sat on my patio with my laptop preparing to write my blog post it suddenly struck me that today is the 21st day of December, 2011, the winter solstice and the start of what many believe to be the last year of life as we know it on this earth.  Scientific experts from around the world are genuinely predicting that one year from now, all life on Earth could come to an end. Some are saying it'll be humans that set it off. Others believe that a natural phenomenon will be the cause. And the religious folks are saying it'll be God himself who presses the stop button.

Thousands of years ago, using only their observation of the stars, the Mayans managed to calculate the length of the lunar moon as 329.53020 days, only 34 seconds out. The Mayan long count calendar ends it's latest 5126 year cycle on December 21, 2012. Given that they were pretty close to the mark with the lunar cycle, it's likely that they have a pretty good idea about what the stars mean.

Add to this the fact that Solar experts from around the world monitoring the sun have made a startling discovery. Our sun is behaving badly. The energy output of the sun is, like most things in nature, cyclic, and it's supposed to be in the middle of a period of relative stability. However, recent solar storms have been bombarding the Earth with so much radiation energy, it's been knocking out power grids and destroying satellites. This activity is predicted to get worse, and calculations suggest it'll reach its deadly peak sometime in 2012.

Scientists in Europe have been building the world's largest particle accelerator. Basically its a 27km tunnel designed to smash atoms together to find out what makes the Universe tick. However, the mega-gadget has caused serious concern, with some scientists suggesting that it's properly even a bad idea to turn it on in the first place. They're predicting all manner of deadly results, including mini black holes. So when this machine is fired up for its first serious experiment in 2012, the world could be crushed into a super-dense blob the size of a basketball.

If having scientists warning us about the end of the world isn't bad enough, religious folks are getting in on the act as well. Interpretations of the Christian Bible reveal that the date for Armageddon, the final battle between Good an Evil, has been set down for 2012. The I Ching, also known as the Chinese book of Changes, says the same thing, as do various sections of the Hindu teachings.

Yellowstone National Park in the United States is famous for its thermal springs and Old Faithful geyser. The reason for this is simple - it's sitting on top of the world's biggest volcano, and geological experts are beginning to get nervous sweats. The Yellowstone volcano has a pattern of erupting every 650,000 years or so, and we're many years overdue for an explosion that will fill the atmosphere with ash, blocking the sun and plunging the Earth into a frozen winter that could last up to 15,000 years. The pressure under the Yellowstone is building steadily, and geologists have set 2012 as a likely date for the big bang.

As I was contemplating that I may have only one more year to live and here I am wasting time blogging, I noticed my little granddaughter staring intently at the presents piling up under the Christmas tree. I saw the serious look on her face and I asked, What's the matter dear? She looked at me and asked, “How come it is taking you all so long to get all the presents when Santa can do it all in one night?

I looked into those big beautiful eyes that were seriously expecting an answer, (Grandad knows all), and for a second still reeling from the realisation of our mortality, I considered telling her the following story....

There are approximately two billion children (persons under 18) in the world. However, since Santa does not visit children of Muslim, Hindu, Jewish or Buddhist (except maybe in Japan) religions, this reduces the workload for Christmas night to 15% of the total, or 378 million (according to the population reference bureau). At an average (census) rate of 3.5 children per household, that comes to 108 million homes, presuming there is at least one good child in each. Santa has about 31 hours of Christmas to work with, thanks to the different time zones and the rotation of the earth, assuming east to west (which seems logical). This works out to 967.7 visits per second. This is to say that for each Christian household with a good child, Santa has around 1/1000 th of a second to park the sleigh, hop out, jump down the chimney, fill the stocking, distribute the remaining presents under the tree, eat cookies, drink the milk, get back up the chimney, jump into the sleigh and get onto the next house.

Assuming that each of these 108 million stops is evenly distributed around the earth (which, of course, we know to be false, but will accept for the purposes of our calculations), we are now talking about 0.78 miles per household; a total trip of 75.5 million miles, not counting bathroom stops or breaks. This means Santa’s sleigh is moving at 650 miles per second — 3,000 times the speed of sound.For purposes of comparison, the fastest man made vehicle, the Ulysses space probe, moves at only 27.4 miles per second, and a conventional reindeer can run at 15 miles per hour.

The payload of the sleigh adds another interesting element. Assuming that each child gets nothing more than a medium sized LEGO set (two pounds), the sleigh is carrying over 500 thousand tons, not counting Santa himself. On land, a conventional reindeer can pull no more than 300 pounds. Even granting that the "flying" reindeer can pull 10 times the normal amount, the job can’t be done with eight or even nine of them—Santa would need 360,000 of them. This increases the payload, not counting the weight of the sleigh, another 54,000 tons, or roughly seven times the weight of the Queen Elizabeth II (the ship, not the monarch). 600,000 tons travelling at 650 miles per second creates enormous air resistance – this would heat up the reindeer in the same fashion as a spacecraft re-entering the earth’s atmosphere. The lead pair of reindeer would adsorb 14.3 quintillion joules of energy per second each. In short, they would burst into flames almost instantaneously, exposing the reindeer behind them and creating deafening sonic booms in their wake. The entire reindeer team would be vaporised within 4.26 thousandths of a second, or right about the time Santa reached the fifth house on his trip. Not that it matters, however, since Santa, as a result of accelerating from a dead stop to 650 m.p.s. in .001 seconds, would be subjected to acceleration forces of 17,000 g’s. A 250 pound Santa (which seems ludicrously slim after all those milk and cookies) would be pinned to the back of the sleigh by 4,315,015 pounds of force, instantly crushing his bones and organs and reducing him to a quivering blob of pink goo.
Therefore, if Santa did exist, he’s dead now. Merry Christmas.

However, I looked at this innocent child who believes every word that comes out of my mouth and said, “Santa has magic, honey.”  She walked away, back to her Wii  without a care in the world.

How could I write about doom and gloom after that. The lesson here is simple. This world is full of uncertainty but one thing is certain. If we are to have a future it lies with our children and grandchildren. We need to realise that whatsoever the creator of the universe, (whatever you perceive him, her or it, to be), has in store for us, there is really nothing we can do about it. Our task is to make this world a better place for those who follow behind us. Every child has a right to a childhood and if, by helping a child believe that there are powers greater than themselves that exist in the world I am being a hypocrite, I stand condemned.

The world might indeed undergo some dramatic change next year so in the meantime enjoy this festive season and make it special for the ones you love. You never know, it might just be your last.

Quote of the Day

"If you knew that hope and despair were paths to the same destination, which would you choose?"  ~Robert Brault

Crime and Punishment

Since Roman times, Justitia has frequently been depicted carrying scales and a sword, and wearing a blindfold. Her modern incarnation, Lady Justice is a feature in many courtrooms. It combines the attributes of several goddesses who embodied Right Rule for Greeks and Romans, blending Roman blindfolded Fortuna (fate) with Hellenistic Greek Tyche (luck), and sword-carrying Nemesis (vengeance).

Justitia is most often depicted with a set of scales typically suspended from her left hand, upon which she measures the strengths of a case's support and opposition. She is also often seen carrying a double-edged sword in her right hand, symbolizing the power of Reason and Justice, which may be wielded either for or against any party. Since the 15th century, Lady Justice has often been depicted wearing a blindfold. The blindfold represents objectivity, in that justice is or should be meted out objectively, without fear or favor, regardless of identity, money, power, or weakness; blind justice and impartiality. 

Lady Justice and I have been watching with some concern certain development in Barbados over the past weeks. There is a growing sense of unease in my mind as I believe our leaders are setting a dangerous precedent by not sending a consistent message of right and wrong. The scales of justice appears to be becoming unbalanced.

Firstly, the issue of Keisha Brathwaite who illegally took up residence in an unoccupied house owned by the National Housing Corporation (NHC) at Barbarees Hill, St Michael. No one questions that she was in a dire situation being pregnant and with two young children to care for and being faced with the situation of having no roof over her head. But, does this justify her breaking the law?
She has garnished much public sympathy but I ask; "How many of those offering her support would have done so if she had broken into their homes to steal food for her children?"

Minister of Housing Michael Lashley offered his opinion early, (before public opinion was known). He stated:-

Anyone who illegally occupies Government housing will “feel the full weight of the law”.

"This is a serious matter and the National Housing Corporation, as the property owner and the agent of the Crown, will asserts its rights shortly; and I am giving full notice to those person who believe they can go into housing units and all will be well. I am sending a warning to those who feel they can break the law".

"This impacts on the rule of the law and if we allow it, people will go and break into NHC units and decide that they can settle in them, that will be sending the wrong signal. It cannot happen under my tenure as minister,we will be taking action shortly. We have to assert our rights and will do so through the legal process.”

However, two weeks later, Ms. Brathwaite moved her bed out of the unit in Barbarees Hill, St Michael and handed over the keys to NHC officials only after NHC officials had found her a unit in The Pine, St Michael. And the Welfare Department having given the assurance that they will pay the rent!

She broke and entered the property of the crown, illegally occupied said property and only vacated the premises when she was assured that she would be given, rent free, similar or better accommodation! Mr. Lashley, how is this, in your own words, “sending a warning to those who feel they can break the law". I will be surprised if the hundreds of people waiting on NHC units are not thinking at this very moment that they too should find an empty NHC unit and move in.

Do you see what I am saying about sending the wrong signals?

Lady Justice maybe wearing a blindfold but the people are not. Rewarding wrongdoing is tantamount to aiding and abetting lawlessness. I think the Commissioner of Police need to consider charging the officials of the NHC as accessories to or for the criminal facilitation of the actus reus in this case.

Secondly, the story of the ten Barbadian fishermen held in Trinidad & Tobago for fishing illegally.

The men were arrested and their boats confiscated. They were subsequently convicted and fined for illegal fishing as well as rearrested for violating Trinidad’s immigration laws. No one disputes that they were guilty of these crimes, yet when these same “convicted criminals” were released and sailed into the Bridgetown Port they arrived to an official welcome by Attorney General Adriel Brathwaite and other Government officials! Mr, Brathwaite was quoted as saying that the Government of Barbados would seek to do all in it’s power to assist these self-confessed criminals. No reprimand, no sanctions for attempting to steal the rightful property of our neighbour and friend. Only applause and official pledges of Government support. If only all law breakers were so lucky? The scales of Lady Justice are tipping further over.

Mr. Brathwaite you are an Attorney-at-Law specializing in corporate and international law. A man well respected in your field. I ask you; "What message are we sending?"

 Is it o.k to break the law as long as it is not a popular one? 

Or, are other people’s laws to be ignored if we don’t agree with them?


I am not dispassionate to the plight of our fishermen. I feel their pain at having been let down by successive Governments since 1990 over the issue of formalizing an agreement with our neighbour with regards to fishing. This issue should have been concluded long ago over a bottle of Blue Label,after a Caricom Heads of Government meeting, like many other issues in the past. Like you Mr. Brathwaite I grew up in St. Philip. My grandfather was Senior Lighthouse Keeper at Ragged Point Lighthouse and for most of my childhood the sea was the last thing I heard when I fell asleep at night and the first thing when I awoke in the morning. As children we knew by sight every fishing boat out of Skeetes Bay and each of us adopted a boat which we called our own and rejoiced when it was the first back to port in the afternoon, because, to our minds this meant that they had caught the most fish first. As an adult I spent many a memorable Sunday morning going out for a few hours with Evy on his boat out of Weston, St. James. We will catch a few dozen flying fish and maybe a couple of “dolphin” and be back before lunch time.

However, we cannot condone the breaking of the laws of our neighbouring countries by our citizens. We ignore at our peril, the negative effect on our national psyche that such perceived moral contradictions by our leaders will have on a populace under the strain of current economic challenges. Are we then to be surprised that the number of home invasions are on the increase and becoming more violent? Where there is no respect for the rule of law as relating to other people’s property, there will be anarchy.

Finally let me say my piece on the case of Johan Bjerkhamn currently being conducted in our courts.
The tragedy that resulted in the death of Bjerkhamn’s 11 year old son Luke over a year ago is still fresh in the minds of most Barbadians. A number of issues surrounding this case are of interest to me.

Early on in the case. it was pretty obvious from the little information available that the Director of Public Prosecutions, (DPP), would have found it difficult to charge the young Bjerkhamn with anything more that vast stupidity and this has subsequently been confirmed by the DPP. On the 02 december 2011, in the Holetown Magistrate Court, both DPP Charles Leacock, QC, and leader of the defence team, Queen’s Counsel Sir Richard Cheltenham, supported the idea of a non-custodial sentence for Bjerkhamn, with court-imposed supervision and community service. The DPP, in an earlier court appearance, had announced withdrawal of the manslaughter charge against Bjerkhamn, saying there was no evidence pointing to reckless endangering of life or gross negligence that would substantiate it. Bjerkhamn faces a lesser charge that he “willfully exposed” a child in his custody “in a manner likely to cause injury to his health”.

In the year 2011, the maximum penalty the law provides for this crime which resulted in the untimely death of a child, (the ultimate “injury to his health”), is a fine of just Bds$24.00. If the circumstances were not so tragic this would be laughable. And when you factor in the financial resources of the accused the farce is exacerbated beyond belief.

Who is responsible for updating these laws and penalties? It is obvious that a number of people charged with this responsibility over the years have failed to keep our judicial system up to date. A modern prison and a high tech Judicial Centre is a joke if laws like this still remain on our books in their present state.

My second question is, Why did it take a year for the DPP to decide that the manslaughter case against Mr Bjerkhamn had no merit? Fortunately for Mr. Bjerkham, he could afford the best legal council available in Barbados so he did not have to spend a year at Dodds on remand waiting for the DPP to decide his fate. If Mr. Bjerkhamn was like most of us and could not afford Sir Richard Cheltenham and Andrew Pilgrim, and was not able to meet the requirements of court sureties, he would have been on remand for nearly a year. This raises the question; How many prisoners are tax payers currently paying for on remand at Dodds for frivolous offenses that they cannot possibly be found guilty of, only because they don’t have the financial resources of a Johan Bjerkhamn?

Furthermore, I cannot help but wonder if the public’s perception that there is one law for the rich and another for the poor, was a factor in the DPP’s delay in these proceedings. Maybe his reluctance to admit in a timely manner that this case had no merit was as a result of his not wanting to appear reluctant to prosecute a “rich white boy”.  Maybe Lady Justice is not so blind.

On 21 December 2011, Magistrate Barbara Cooke-Alleyne will make her ruling in the case against Johan Bjerkhamn in the Holetown Magistrate Court. I have known Mrs Cooke-Alleyne for over 35 years, (she too knows what is to go to sleep and awake to the sound of the waves breaking at Ragged Point), and I know that she will try her best to administer a sentence that reflects the tragedy of a young life lost while staying within the parameters of an outdated law.  Lets hope that she don't fine him $24.00.

In closing I will leave you with these thoughts:-

"The trouble with the laws these days is that criminals know their rights better than their wrongs."  ~Author Unknown

"Laws: We know what they are, and what they are worth! They are spider webs for the rich and mighty, steel chains for the poor and weak, fishing nets in the hands of the government." ~Pierre Joseph Proudhon

Are We Independent?

What is Independence?

Most of us in Barbados offer a lot of lip service to the concept but what does it mean? The dictionary will tell us:

Freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others.

It seems pretty simple, doesn’t it? Would anybody disagree with the notion that we should be free from the control of others? Of course not. To suggest otherwise would imply that we are the property of others, that we are subjects or slaves. The other parts of the definition all rest on the freedom from control: influence of others isn’t always a bad thing. It is good to sometimes seek advice or guidance from someone else. However, you are still free to choose what to do with that advice, and so you are free to choose how you will let that influence affect you, so long as you are free from control. The same is true of support, aid, or the like. So a more simple definition of independence, cutting down to the root of the issue, would be:

Freedom from the control of others.
Can we in Barbados seriously say that after forty-five years we have achieve that state?
Every November Barbados is decorated with blue and yellow lights, (or to the purists among us - aquamarine & gold), and the whole island is decked with national flags and buntings everywhere. The Garrison Savannah is cleaned up and perfectly groomed in preparation for the annual Independence Day parade. The armed and unarmed forces are drilled and practiced so that on the day our citizens can take pride in the military precision and discipline of our uniformed men and women, boys and girls as they march to the sounds of the combined Royal Barbados Police & the BDF Bands.

The Governor General and the Prime Minister make their all too familiar ritualistic speeches which lack any true substance. The annual independence addresses have become a monotonous dialogue prudently expressing politically correct statements, failing to inspire a populace desperately looking for guidance. They merely rephrase the speeches of the last forty odd years. Similarly, all the other politician given a chance will mindlessly voice platitudes that they think suitable for the occasion with the intention of appearing relevant to the people who must decide their fates come election day.

But is the national celebration of Barbados’s Independence Day anything more than a meaningless tradition? Can Barbados make any serious social changes or take any political decision that conflict with the policy of her neighbouring countries or any powerful Western nation? Before taking a decision, the government has to think about how Caricom will react, how the UK will receive it and how the USA will view it. Are we going to offend the United Nations or any one of dozens of other powerful international interest groups? So, if no decision is made independently in the national interest by ignoring others' viewpoints, then,where is the independence?

If we as a country decided tomorrow that we were going to start hanging convicted murderers, we will feel the wrath of the International Human Rights organisations which are powerful enough to influence the actions of international donors and lending agencies. Barbados could not risk this in times of plenty and it would definitely be disastrous in these current turbulent economic times. Would the IADB even consider a loan for The Four Seasons Project if it was under pressure from Amnesty International?

Who can forget in 2007 at the United Nations Meeting of the Human Rights Committee, Eighty-ninth Session when the delegation of Barbados, headed by Louis Tull faced a flurry of questions from experts of the Human Rights Committee on its legal stance on the death penalty, corporal punishment, the criminalization of homosexuality and police brutality in Barbados, as it presented its third periodic report on progress in implementing the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Experts critiqued everything from the scarcity of statistics on police brutality and prevention methods to the accepted practice of flogging children in public schools, as well as the lack of a national human rights commission. Several experts urged the delegation to ban the death penalty on humanitarian grounds. One expert noted a strong “founding fathers” approach on law of treaties in Barbados and the tendency to allow public opinion to dictate human rights policy, regardless of whether it was just.

Only recently, at the just concluded Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Australia, we have witnessed the overt attempts by Britain's Prime Minister, David Cameron to influence Barbados’s social policy by commented that those countries receiving British aid should adhere to proper human rights, including the reform of legislation banning homosexuality. Despite the efforts at damage control being done by the government, only time will tell what effect the claim by France’s President Nicholas Sarkozy that Barbados is among 11 tax havens that should be shunned for failure to conform to acceptable tax practices, will have on the economy of Barbados.

Political independence is no independence. Under the plea of political expediency, one nation is always overtly or covertly aligned with some other countries. Mere geographical territorial independence is no true or substantial independence. It is economic independence that is true independence, some people claim. Others refute this. They say that if the oil-producing countries increase the price of crude oil, we are compelled to increase our domestic petrol prices. A recession in a major economically advanced country like the United States has a telling impact on Barbados too.Then where is Barbados’s economic independence in an interdependent world that has become a global village?

Still, we steadfastly cling to the belief that Barbados has enjoyed independence for the last Forty-five years. This misunderstanding has to be corrected. Whichever way we look at it, no nation, no community, no society, no individual is independent in the true sense of the term. In our childhood we depend on our parents. During our youth, we depend on our spouse. In old age, we depend on our adult sons or daughters, sometimes even our grandchildren. Political leaders depend on the citizens to stay in office. As citizens, we are dependent on the government, for all social benefits, services and security. We are controlled at every stage of our operations. We work under certain constraints. We are restricted even in our physical movements. We are restrained. Thus, our life depends on various factors of the state and society. Where is our independence? The moment fuel prices rise there is a rise in the price of electricity and transport with the resulting price inflation for almost all the consumer goods. In this way, things are interdependent. Then, how are we economically independent?

We as a people need to reflect on our achievements and strive to progress but the blind acceptance of this concept of Independence leaves us vulnerable to the reality the confronts us in this world. Independence is a political idea and not a physical reality. It is a state of mind that was perpetuated by politicians like Errol Barrow. It was said of him that "He found Barbados a collection of villages, and transformed it into a proud nation." That is not inherently a bad thing but it is not the full story. We had a lot that we could be proud of as a people before independence.

I believe that after 45 years we need to look back to the times before 1966 when we were a collection of villages. This was a time when each family had it’s own breadfruit tree and banana patch in the back yard, a spinach vine on the paling and a small kitchen garden growing just enough for family and friends, when the few fowls in the yard kept the family supplied with eggs, the kitchen garden with fertiliser and provided the occasional Sunday meal, when the lone cow or goat supplied them and their neighbours with fresh milk. When the village butcher supplied the meat from livestock bought from the same villagers he served and each village had a tailor, a dressmaker, a carpenter, a mason that supplied the needs of their neighbours. Every Saturday the village barber set up shop under the almond tree beside the field where the children played marble cricket.

Our children made their own toys and cricket balls and bats were made by hand. Every boy could make a guttaperk and set a fly-stick. He knew how to use the gum from the trunk of the breadfruit tree to make gum-sticks to catch canaries. He knew how to catch sand cockles on the beach the use as bait to catch pot fish. He knew the best places to gather whelks and cowheels and knew how to make a fire on the beach and cook them. He could scale and clean a fish as easily as he could peel a banana. It was a rite of passage to be able to climb a coconut tree. He knew where the best dunks trees grew and when the sea grapes will be ripe. In St.Philip, where I grew up, during the school vacation children left home after breakfast and only returned home at dust and parents knew that they would not be hungry because they were “independent” enough to live off the land. Now after 45 years of independence, my teenage daughter sits at the table in the kitchen and expects me to bring her a glass of juice from the refrigerator.

In these times the village enjoyed a greater degree of “independence” than most of us do today.

I am not advocating the rejection of progress. All that I am asking is, that as we reflect on the last 45 years of Barbados as an “independent nation”, think not only of what we have achieved but consider what we have lost. Many of the things that have made us Barbadian have become lost to our children over the years and I am afraid it will take a determined effort to reverse this trend. When we ask our children to be proud of our nation, what are we asking them to be proud of? As Errol Barrow so eloquently put it back in 1986. “What is their mirror image?” Do they know what it is to be Bajan? Maybe someone should write an e-book on “How to be a Bajan”. Maybe then, if you sent an email, BB or SMS broadcast and advertised it on Twitter and Facebook, our children may read it on their Kindles, Ipads, Blackberrys and laptops.

If you think seriously about it you will realise that we are less independent than we were in 1966 and growing more dependent daily.