BWU Statement on ANSA McAL – Standard’s and Berger Paints Closures
- miracle-annking
- Feb 26
- 2 min read
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 26, 2026
STATEMENT BY THE BARBADOS WORKERS’ UNION (BWU)
The Executive Council of the Barbados Workers’ Union (BWU) is calling out the ANSA McAL Group for its handling of the closure of Standard’s retail operations at the end of last year and the wind-down of Berger Paints in Barbados which the Union was made aware of, only at the same time it was announced two days ago.
This is not simply a business decision, it is a test of whether powerful regional conglomerates believe they can walk out of Barbados and ignore the laws that protect Barbadian workers. Indeed, it is a slap in the face of the people of Barbados.
In our New Year’s address at the start of this year, the Executive Council of the BWU reminded us all that Barbados, while open for investment, is not open for disrespect. No company should be allowed to profit from this country for years and then treat our legal obligations as optional on the way out. Workers are not collateral damage. Barbados is not a playground for corporate shortcuts.
The Employment Rights Act is clear: early consultation, written disclosure, and engagement with workers, their union, and the Chief Labour Officer at least six weeks before any redundancy. These are mandatory protections, not boxes to tick after decisions are already made.
The BWU has serious concerns that ANSA McAL did not honour these requirements. Attempts to bypass the Union, inadequate notice, and actions that undermine good-faith bargaining are unacceptable and dangerous to Barbados’ industrial relations culture.
The BWU demands immediate intervention by the Labour Department to enforce the law, secure all entitlements owed to workers, and send a national message that no employer, local or foreign, can breach Barbados’ labour laws without consequence.
Meanwhile, we remain watchful as to the next move by this group within Barbados.
Barbados must show, right now, that workers matter and the law stands.
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