The Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) has called for a reset and reemphasis on creating sustainable and equitable employment opportunities to address rising crime and the escalating cost of living.
Speaking to journalists on Tuesday, CTUSAB General Secretary Dennis de Peiza expressed concern about the apparent connection between unemployment, underemployment, and the increase in violent crimes, even as official data indicates an unemployment rate of seven percent.
De Peiza questioned whether this statistic accurately reflects the reality, particularly for young people. He pointed to the prevalence of temporary, short-term, or casual employment among the youth, often accompanied by wages that fall below acceptable standards for decent work.
“It would appear that many young persons are not employed, or are employed on a temporary or short-term basis, or engaged in casual work,” he noted. “Moreover, the fact that they are paid substandard wages falls far from what is acceptable under the provision of decent work, and therefore jobs on offer may not appear to be attractive to this age group. If this is what prevails, then it is more than likely a real contributing factor to the social deviance and criminal activity which is being experienced.”
He emphasized that while numerous large-scale projects have been promised to commence on the island, it is crucial to ensure that the resulting job opportunities are prioritized for local workers rather than foreign labour.
“A lot of the plans and promises of projects to come on stream, we have to ensure that those things happen. But when we do that, we have to make sure that there are jobs for Barbadians. This whole thing of importing a whole lot of people from all over the place… it seems to me that we always want to import workers and claim that there are no Barbadians fit for the job. If we start that practice, then we are going to have a problem.”

Despite rising cost-of-living pressures, there has not been a notable increase in Barbadians seeking financial or welfare assistance, according to Minister of People Empowerment and Elder Affairs, Kirk Humphrey.

Humphrey shared this observation during a recent event where Chickmont Foods Ltd donated $10,000 worth of food vouchers to the ministry’s One Family Programme.
The minister noted “We have not really seen an increase in terms of the number of people who came forward over the last few years,” he said. “We’ve gone through the numbers, we were in estimates last week budgeting, and we were looking at demand this year as compared to demand last year. We have not seen an increase in numbers.

He explained, “What we have done over the year is that we have gone forward – what we decided since the back-to-school programme, is that there were a number of persons who come every year, people who are known to the departments, we set up a greenlight situation where a person who is known to the ministry or known to welfare, they get their support upfront. So it reduces the level of pressure.”

Humphrey however praised the contribution of corporate Barbados towards the ministry’s efforts to help support he less fortunate. He said: “Every Christmas we see a number of new entities [coming] forward, a number of small organisations who are also helping [to ease] the pressure at that level. Through the One Family we’ve seen significant support from Light and Power, Chickmont now, Sandy Lane Trust, JetBlue… a number of persons have come forward to help us carry the burden.”

Barbados is grappling with a disturbing surge in youth crime, which experts attribute to the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cheryl Willoughby, director of the Criminal Justice Research and Planning Unit (CJRPU), sounded the alarm during the launch of the National Peace Programme’s Livewise Campaign at Starcom Network studios.

Willoughby highlighted that the pandemic has exacerbated existing social and educational inequalities, particularly for young men aged 16 to 18. These youth, she noted, were disproportionately affected by the lack of educational support during lockdowns, which has contributed to their increased involvement in serious crimes, including murder, gun-related offences, burglaries, and robberies.

Data released in November underscores the gravity of the situation. Many of the young men now entangled in violent and acquisitive crimes are those who missed crucial educational opportunities during the pandemic years.

Willoughby emphasized the urgency of addressing these issues: “When we examine the data we recognise that these young people are the ones who did not benefit really from serious sound education during the COVID period,” she explained, pointing to the disruptions caused by the pandemic’s shutdowns. “When you go back four years, you’ll recognise that was the time when Barbados literally shut down.”Willoughby stressed there needed to be urgent action to stem the tide of youth being involved in criminal matters.

“We have to look at what systems have been put in place to mediate some of the crises these young people experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” she said.