Darrel Bradley: Unions’ Reform Demands Requires Culture Shift
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize has put forward a list of demands to the Government of Belize, calling for changes on statutory bodies and reforms the unions say are necessary to protect workers and improve governance. But according to political scientist Darrel Bradley, the issues being raised go far beyond a simple government response. Bradley, once widely viewed as a rising force in Belizean politics, has in recent years kept a lower profile while pursuing his doctorate in political science in Canada. His academic work has brought him face to face with many of the same questions now at the center of Belize’s labor fight: good governance, reform and unchecked political power. He has been following the unions’ ongoing battles closely and says achieving meaningful change will require more than political will.
Darrel Bradley
Darrel Bradley, Attorney
“What I would say as a wider problem is that we need to create cultural and institutional norms and conventions that create openness in government so that we can have the best laws but the best of laws may also lead to a very inefficient and corrupt system. What we need is a culture of leadership that promotes ethics, that promotes transparency, and promotes character in public office. And if we have that, then I think we would have good laws. It actually starts with that first. I have looked at the proposals that they have in terms of their 11-point plan. I’ve talked about quite a few of those, but again, we need to get into a system where there is a value of ethics and integrity in the public service and in the administration of government and in the political space. And that discussion must come first before there is the creation of effective laws or mechanisms to champion good governance. One of the things that I am chiefly seeing is that there is a problem in our understanding of government and our understanding of what leadership is. Because I am the leader, because I am the prime minister, because I am the cabinet, it does not mean that my voice is the most important voice. It means that I am a facilitator. I am a convener of ideas. And I will facilitate the overall development and growth of the economic and political space. That’s actually a very different philosophy and view of what leadership is.”
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