As the newly elected leader of the Congress of Trade Unions and Staff Associations of Barbados (CTUSAB) Young Workers’ Committee, Chaunaci Belgrave has issued a clarion call to reposition young Barbadian workers at the heart of the nation’s labor future, rejecting the long-held status of youth as passive bystanders to workplace and industry decisions that shape their lives.
Belgrave’s remarks, shared during a press briefing, reframe the conversation around youth engagement in trade unions, arguing that the value of attracting young members extends far beyond padding recruitment headcounts. For Belgrave, young workers are not just a demographic to be courted – they are the future of Barbados’ national workforce and the organized labor movement itself, even as a large majority of the nation’s youth remain disconnected from formal union structures today.
Multiple interconnected barriers have driven this disengagement, with crippling youth unemployment topping the list. Projected to hit 18.5% in 2025, the youth unemployment rate is nearly three times higher than Barbados’ overall national unemployment rate of 6.5%. Compounding this economic strain are widespread systemic challenges: persistent economic uncertainty, skyrocketing living costs, and a pervasive culture of dismissiveness toward young people in workplaces across the country.
“Many young workers leave work every day feeling unheard, underestimated, and even belittled, all because of their age,” Belgrave explained. She pointed out that society too often conflates the label of “youth” with inherent incompetence, rather than recognizing it as a marker of untapped potential and fresh perspective. Even when young people are invited into professional spaces, she noted, they are rarely given genuine agency to contribute to decision-making or shape solutions to the challenges their generation faces.
A gaping lack of foundational labor education in mainstream education systems further widens the divide between young workers and organized labor, Belgrave argued. Too many young people enter the workforce with no knowledge of their basic employment rights, the core function of trade unions, or the benefits that collective bargaining delivers to workers. With labor rights education largely excluded from standard school curricula, young people often cannot see how the labor movement is relevant to their daily lives and career trajectories.
To reverse this trend, Belgrave is calling on established labor organizations across Barbados to adapt and evolve their approaches. She urged groups to prioritize intentional investment in three key areas: structured mentorship programs for young workers, formal youth leadership development pathways, and widespread accessible educational initiatives that demystify the labor movement.
But Belgrave also emphasized that change does not fall solely on institutional leaders. She challenged young workers to take ownership of their professional and political growth, arguing that meaningful representation requires more than just demanding a voice. “We cannot simply ask for seats at decision-making tables; we must prepare ourselves to sit at them,” she said. “Leadership is not an inherited title – it is a responsibility that demands intentional preparation.”
Belgrave encouraged young Barbadian workers to deepen their understanding of the labor movement, equipping themselves to tackle the defining modern challenges that will shape the future of work: the disruptive impact of artificial intelligence, climate change’s effect on industries and jobs, rising mental health strains in workplaces, and the shifting nature of employment globally.
Closing her remarks, Belgrave stressed that closing the generational divide in organized labor is non-negotiable for the long-term survival of trade unions. The future of decent work and equitable economic justice in Barbados, she argued, depends on building a generation of informed, empowered young workers who can lead the movement forward.