Peaceful Assembly
Sanitation workers strike ahead of Crop Over Festival
On 24th July 2025, hundreds of workers from the Sanitation Service Authority (SSA) in Bridgetown staged a walkout, denouncing poor working conditions and unfair incentive payments. The strike occurred just days before Barbados’s annual Crop Over Festival, one of the island’s main cultural celebrations.
According to the SSA’s Public Relations Officer, staff incentives were tied to the “achievement of clearly defined operational targets”, but the Government had not met the agreed terms. Workers disputed the existing allowance scheme, arguing that new recruits were earning the same or more than long-serving employees. They also reported inadequate safety measures, citing the absence of medical kits, fire extinguishers and hazard pay, and expressed frustration at receiving only an additional BBD $13 per day. Other grievances included the lack of uniforms and the taxation of their washing allowance.
The following day, workers walked off the job again, citing the same unresolved issues. The National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) called for a fairer overall payment structure and demanded the removal of the SSA’s general and operational managers. After two additional walkouts, employees returned to work in time to clean key roadways and public spaces for the Crop Over weekend. Talks between NUPW and SSA remain ongoing.
Teachers walk off the job at Princess Margaret Secondary
On 9th September 2025, at the beginning of the school year, teachers from the Princess Margaret Secondary School walked off the job to protest extended renovation delays and their concerns over the school’s “readiness for the new school year”. The students stayed home an extra day. Teachers were delayed in preparing their classrooms because the repairs were not completed on schedule, leaving dust and debris, which reportedly caused respiratory discomfort.
The Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) accused the Ministry of Educational Transformation of ignoring repeated warnings about incomplete repairs and poor health and safety conditions. However, Chief Education Officer Ramona Archer-Bradshaw rejected claims of non-consultation, saying the ministry had conducted joint tours with the union and received no indication of dissatisfaction before reopening.
BUT First Vice-President Julian Pierre disputed that account, stating that over 30 per cent of schools with summer construction remained unready as of 1st September 2025. He cited dust, sanitation issues, and lack of classroom preparation time among teachers’ main grievances. The union is now calling for a public forum involving parents, contractors, and education officials to address communication failures and ensure safer, better-prepared schools going forward.
Community College tutors stage walkout over alleged unfair hiring process
On 30th September 2025, about 60 tutors at the Barbados Community College (BCC) staged a walkout, accusing management of bypassing long-serving tutors in a recruitment process they described as unfair. The protest was marked by chants of “enough is enough” across the Bridgetown campus.
The NUPW, which represents the tutors, said the action was triggered by the appointment of a new head of department who allegedly overlooked internal candidates who had acted in the post for more than a year and received multiple awards for outstanding performance. NUPW General Secretary Richard Green called the situation “untenable”, while President Kimberley Agard described it as “the straw that broke the camel’s back”, pointing to years of unresolved staff grievances.
Principal Annette Alleyne confirmed that a meeting with staff representatives was scheduled for the following morning, noting that the college respected employees’ right to protest but was committed to minimising disruption to students.