The Ministry of Labour and Social Partnership Relations has been lauded for its recent handling of issues related to G4S.
The praise came from G4S’ new Country Manager to Barbados, James Devers, during a courtesy call with Minister Colin Jordan, at the Warrens Office Complex.
He said: “For you to have made the time to have met with us to try and deal with some matters that we are trying to sort out, I appreciate that.”
Mr. Devers, who holds responsibility for Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago, assured the Minister that industrial relations would be high on his company’s agenda, and added that with labour being their primary asset, this would be the number one priority for 2020.
“That’s going to be in the form of employee engagement between management and staff; viewing us as one team and also just enhancing our relationship with the Barbados Workers’ Union.
“It’s a partnership that has to be based upon transparency, trust and communication because a lot of times when there is not adequate communication things get confused, so I’m really focusing on the team … listening to our team members, our security officers and their concerns and any issues that we have not been able to address, to do so immediately,” he stated.
Minister Jordan, in welcoming the sentiments, noted that having “relationships was key to everything” and he expressed the hope that Mr. Devers could divvy his time appropriately to meet the commitments within the four territories.
Mr. Jordan, who is currently leading the We Gatherin’ exercise in St. Peter, further encouraged the G4S leader to have his company participate in the year-long programme.
Emphasizing that relationships would be formed out of the various policy initiatives as a result of the support and contributions from locals and the diaspora, he said these could further see the “building of mechanisms that would allow people to contribute financial and other resources, including time”.
“There is also the legacy that we are looking at, and continuing to embrace the diaspora, and encouraging their investment, participation, contribution and support. We are building those structures,” the Labour Minister said.
Mr. Devers pledged that G4S would support, and participate in the We Gatherin’ exercise through staff engagement celebrations, to which Minister Jordan said: “We Gatherin’ is intended to be used across the board – community groups, businesses. The logo is available to be used widely by people and families.”