Barbados Today
Fearless, unapologetic, and prepared to offend in the name of righteousness.
That’s the nature of the man Caswell Franklyn, the Opposition Senator, trade union leader and all-round disruptor to the status quo in Barbados during the year 2020.
He has been in the fight for workers’ rights for decades, operating at ground zero as an industrial relations specialist with the National Union of Public Workers (NUPW) in the 1990s and early 2000s. In fact, his no-nonsense approach often found him at loggerheads with the leadership of the NUPW.
A skilled negotiator and debater, Franklyn is known for taking a stand and is willing to defend it, even if it means it will result in personal loss or disadvantage.
by Marlon Madden
The year 2020 started out on a high for many businesses in Barbados, with soaring expectations and plans for several projects.
Despite starting the year with an economic decline, Government was also optimistic about several key development projects getting started, and favourable economic growth.
Then came the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and expectations were immediately lowered, hopes dashed and new plans emerged.
Shortly after the pandemic started affecting the island, rising debt and overall decline in the economy quickly became the order of the day as the Government was forced to borrow more and spend more to implement several social protection programmes and business support schemes, even as revenues declined.