Peter Earle's WorkPlace Conflicts Blog

  By Peter MacD Earle BSc. LLM | Employment Law Consultant | June 2025 From BWA to WASA: The Rise and Fall of Keithroy Halliday St. Kitts-born Keithroy Halliday was appointed General Manager of the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) on February 15, 2017, bringing a strong track record in strategic leadership and regional public sector reform. Over the next seven years, he would become a defining figure in the BWA’s modernization efforts—managing national emergencies such as the South Coast sewage crisis and spearheading an island-wide mains replacement initiative. By 2020, Halliday had risen to Acting Chief Executive Officer, a role he held during a period of deep organizational restructuring. His resignation in August 2024 marked the end of a significant chapter in the BWA’s evolution—and the beginning of a controversial new role abroad as CEO of Trinidad and Tobago’s Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), from which he would be abruptly dismissed less than a year later amid sweeping po...

  Written by: Peter MacD Earle BSc, LLM Employment Law, Demontfort Law School In the high-stakes world of construction and contracts, one misstep can spark more than just workplace tension—it can ignite a full-blown legal battle. This is exactly what unfolded in C.O. Williams Construction v. Frederick Kenmore Dash, a case that evolved from a workplace misunderstanding into a precedent-setting decision in Barbadian employment law. At the heart of the case? A pile of discarded copper wire, a long-serving employee, and a series of managerial blunders that ultimately cost one of Barbados’ most well-known construction firms over $22,000 in damages. ________________________________________ The Allegations: Copper Theft at Grantley Adams International Airport Frederick Kenmore Dash was no newcomer to C.O. Williams Construction. As a tractor operator with 14 years of service, he was part of a team working on the demolition of Terminal 2 at the Grantley Adams International Airport. During t...

A Workplace Commentary on the Rubis Coverley Incident By  Peter MacD Earle BSc, LLM, Employment Law Consultant On Friday, May 17, 2025, Barbadians awoke to disturbing news involving the aftermath of a workplace conflict that escalated dramatically. Daniel Arnold Vincent Belle, 38, a former employee of the Rubis Coverley gas station in Christ Church, appeared in the District “B” Magistrates’ Court and admitted to causing extensive damage to the station—an estimated $7,000 worth—just days after his dismissal from the company. The incident involved the smashing of a glass door, breaking two windows, damaging a display unit, and tearing off seven fuel pump nozzles. Surveillance footage led to Belle’s arrest in Oistins. While this act of destruction was clearly criminal, the context in which it occurred raises serious concerns about workplace conflict, employer responsibilities, and the role of mental health in employment relations. . Let me be clear from the outset: I do not have any a...

   Peter MacD Earle BSc, LLM Employment Law Leicester De Montfort Law School Effective June 1, 2025, Barbados will implement a new minimum wage of $420 per week, a 23.5% increase from the current $340. In addition, legislation proposes an automatic 2% annual wage increase starting in January 2026. But beneath this progressive façade lies a stark, structural truth: Barbados has neither the machinery to enforce the law nor the political will to protect the most vulnerable. While this policy signals social justice on paper, in practice it could collapse under its own contradictions—and set workers, employers, and the economy up for failure. ________________________________________ The Illusion of Legal Protection While the government trumpets the wage hike as a win for working-class families, Barbados remains woefully unequipped to enforce the new standard. Consider: • Thousands of workers never received the current $340 minimum wage. • Many will not receive the new $420 rate...

  Introduction The ongoing Barbados Union of Teachers (BUT) sickout, now in its second day, has sparked intense debate about teachers’ rights, government priorities, and the role of unions in protecting labour benefits. While the BUT insists that its actions are a necessary response to unresolved grievances, the Minister of Educational Transformation has accused the union of playing politics. However, history and logic suggest otherwise. Unions rarely relinquish hard-won benefits, and the origins of term leave in Barbados reveal its deep roots in the island’s colonial past. Moreover, the government’s claim of budgetary constraints rings hollow when juxtaposed with instances of wasteful spending in less critical areas. Amidst the tension, a senior official from the Ministry of Education has acknowledged that that ministry supports term leave is a reasonable and necessary benefit for teachers, but emphasized that ongoing negotiations are needed to reach a practical agreement. This ac...

Case Summary: De Bank Haycocks v ADP RPO UK Ltd (Employment Appeal Tribunal) This UK case offers an important lesson for HR professionals and business owners—both in the UK and jurisdictions like Barbados—about the legal requirements surrounding redundancy. Specifically, it highlights the critical importance of consulting employees at an early or formative stage, before any final decisions are made. ________________________________________ Facts of the Case Mr. De Bank Haycocks was a recruitment consultant employed by ADP in the UK, working in a team of 16 for a single client. When the client's demand for recruitment services dropped due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, ADP decided by May 2020 that redundancies were necessary. Following a directive from its US parent company, ADP assessed all 16 employees against subjective selection criteria. Mr. De Bank Haycocks received the lowest score. On 30 June 2020, he was invited to a consultation meeting where he was informed of th...

Recently, a caller on Barbados’ popular radio show Brass Tacks cried out in frustration: “I can’t sleep, man! I’m breathing it in all night long!” The source of his distress? The pungent, inescapable odor from a nearby medicinal cannabis facility. While many celebrate the economic promise of Barbados’ emerging cannabis industry, this haunting testimony exposes a deeper issue — are we ignoring the very real threats to worker health, public safety, and societal well-being in the rush to cash in on "green gold"? ________________________________________ 🌿 An Industry with Promise — and Peril With hopes pinned on medicinal cannabis to spark post-pandemic recovery, the Barbadian government has laid the regulatory groundwork for a potentially lucrative sector. If banking barriers are resolved, the industry could: • Create jobs in farming, distribution, research, and compliance • Open international export markets • Provide farmers and entrepreneurs new streams of income But be...