The Barbados Workers Union (BWU) has vowed to fight plans by one of the island’s largest construction companies to lay off workers as part of its efforts to ‘downsize and realign the workforce’.
C.O Williams Construction Ltd, a prominent civil engineering firm, in a June 5 internal memo sent to workers, said ‘the company’s overall capacity to sustain the workforce at the current levels has significantly declined due to sustained operational challenges that have impacted the company’s competitiveness. ‘As a result, the company must downsize and realign the workforce,’ the 66-year-old company said, adding ‘to this end, this letter serves as notice in accordance with company practice and national laws to inform you of the impending redundancies that will commence on or shortly after June 12, 2026.’
But the BWU is calling on the construction company to justify its decision amid a nationwide building boom.
‘The union does not treat any redundancy exercise as a routine administrative matter. Behind every name on a list is a worker, a household, and a set of obligations that cannot be reduced to figures on a page,’ it said in a statement.
‘Our immediate priority is to protect the dignity, rights and entitlements of the affected workers, and to ensure that no worker is unfairly treated in the process. The company has indicated that its position is connected to current business pressures, including the loss of contracts and challenges within the wider construction environment.’
The BWU said that while those explanations are for the company to advance, the union has made it clear that workers must not be asked to carry the full burden of conditions they did not create.
‘The BWU has therefore sought to engage in meaningful consultation, to receive justified evidence on the basis for the proposed redundancies, to ensure fair and objective selection, and to secure the payment of all lawful and negotiated entitlements due to workers.’
The BWU said that Barbados needs a construction industry that values skill, experience and decent work.
‘The Barbados Workers’ Union remains opposed to unnecessary job loss and will continue to defend the principle that workers must never be treated as expendable when businesses come under pressure’.
The company has since advised the workers to contact its human resources department if they had any questions or concerns.