“The Government of Barbados remains committed to improving the lives of our workers.” This assurance came from Minister of Labour, Social Security and Third Sector, Colin Jordan, in his May Day, 2025 message. In his statement, the Minister outlined several “meaningful reforms that reflect our dedication to promoting decent work, equity, and opportunities for all.” He also stressed that the Government is working to implement more measures geared towards protecting workers’ rights and providing some social support, such as “the introduction of the Paternity Leave Benefit and the extension of the Maternity Leave Benefit”. May Day is a day dedicated to honouring the invaluable contributions of workers in every sector of our economy. It is also a time to reflect on the continuous journey towards fair wages, safe working conditions, and decent work for all. The Government of Barbados remains committed to improving the lives of our workers. Over the past year, we have implemented meaningful reforms that reflect our dedication to promoting decent work, equity, and opportunities for all. Recent achievements:The establishment of minimum rates of pay and conditions of work in the visitor accommodation sector in September 2024, marked a significant step forward in ensuring fair treatment for workers in this industry. In October 2024, the Government, through the National Insurance and Social Security Service, expanded the categories of people living with disabilities who are eligible for the Special Needs Grant. This expansion included children under 18 years of age with certain disabilities, such as advanced multiple sclerosis, down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and autism. Minors who are mute, deaf or blind were already included. Effective  June 1, 2025, other rare disabilities will be included. Adults   with these same disabilities were also eligible for the Non-contributory Pension from October 2024. The historic passing of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act in Parliament on January 15, 2025, represents a significant milestone in securing an inclusive future for people with disabilities in Barbados.  My ministry developed the Job Start Plus Programme, which also provides training and support for young people with disabilities. Cabinet recently agreed to extend the age limit from 24 years to 34 years and to increase the weekly stipend for job starters with disabilities from $150 to $250. Government has also offered a Temporary Incentive Programme that provides a grant of up to $5,000 for retrofitting the workplace in order to accommodate job starters with disabilities, and employers are encouraged to use it. On the HorizonThe Government of Barbados is set to launch a five-year Decent Work Country Programme in collaboration with the International Labour Organization (ILO), and signing is scheduled to take place in July 2025. The introduction of the Paternity Leave Benefit and the extension of the Maternity Leave Benefit is expected to take effect on June 1, 2025. Under this new provision, paternity leave will be granted for a period of three weeks. The maternity leave benefit will also be extended from 12 to 14 weeks in the case of a single live birth or stillbirth, and to 17 weeks in cases of multiple births. Additionally, the existing requirement that limited a woman to three confinements with the same employer to qualify for the maternity benefit will be removed. The increase in both the national minimum wage and the sectoral minimum wage, effective by mid-year, forms part of the Government’s immediate response to increases in the cost of living. From 2026, there will be indexation that allows for the adjustment of the national minimum wage to keep pace with inflation and protect workers’ ability to maintain themselves and their families. We are also proud to reaffirm our commitment to international labour standards through the ratification of three international labour standards related to occupational safety and health. The objective of these standards is to prevent workplace accidents and health-related injuries, by minimizing as far as possible, the causes of hazards inherent in the work environment. These ratifications underscore our dedication to creating safe, healthy, and supportive workplaces, where prevention, education, and worker participation are central pillars. In addition, Barbados has deposited its instrument of ratification for the Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention. This underscores Government’s strong commitment to seafarers, and represents a vital step in protecting the rights and mobility of Barbadian seafarers within the global maritime economy. This helps to build our position as a key maritime nation. These are significant achievements, but we will not rest on our laurels. Rather, we remain vigilant as we face new challenges brought about by technological change, shifting economic trends, and global uncertainty. The future of work in Barbados must be inclusive, dynamic, and people-centered. We must ensure that workers are equipped with the skills to produce, while supported by robust protections. To our social partners – employers, unions, civil society, and public agencies, I extend sincere thanks for your continued collaboration. Our Social Partnership model remains a beacon of cooperation. To the workers of Barbados, you matter. As we celebrate May Day 2025, let us do so with gratitude for how far we’ve come and with renewed resolve for the road ahead. Together, let us continue to build a nation where people’s labour is valued, rights are protected, production is maximized, and prosperity is shared. Happy May Day to all, and may God bless the workers of Barbados. 

Here is today’s weather forecast according to the Barbados Meteorological Services. Weather Forecasts Today From 6:00 a.m. Synopsis: A ridge pattern is dominant across the island. General Forecast: Mix of sunshine and clouds with a few isolated light showers. Tonight From 6:00 p.m. Synopsis: A ridge pattern will be dominant across the island. General Forecast: Partly cloudy with a few isolated light showers. General Forecast: Partly cloudy with a few brief scattered light showers. Haze Outlook:A layer of slight dust haze will be visible across the island. Wind Forecasts Today From 6:00 a.m. Gentle east-southeasterly to easterly breeze from 20 to 30 km/h (12 to 19 mph) and increasing. Tonight From 6:00 p.m. Gentle easterly to east-southeasterly breeze from 20 to 30 km/h (12 to 19 mph). Marine Forecasts Today From 6:00 a.m. Smooth to moderate in open water with swells ranging from 1.0 to 2.0 meters ( 3 to 7 ft ). Tonight From 6:00 p.m. Smooth to moderate in open water with swells ranging from 1.0 to 2.0 meters ( 3 to 7 ft ). Tides, Sunrise & Sunset High Tide (First) 5:43 a.m. High tide (Second) 7:23 p.m. Low Tide (First) 11:54 a.m. Low tide (Second) 12:51 p.m. Sunrise 5:37 a.m. Sunset 6:13 p.m.

By Victoria Butenko, Kit Maher, Ivana Kottasová and Daria Tarasova-Markina, CNN (CNN) — The United States and Ukraine have signed an “economic partnership agreement” that will give Washington access to Kyiv’s rare earth minerals in exchange for establishing an investment fund in Ukraine. The US and Ukraine have been trying to hammer out the natural resources agreement since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January. The deal comes after weeks of intense negotiations that at times turned bitter and temporarily derailed Washington’s aid to Ukraine. The US Treasury Department on Wednesday announced that both countries signed the agreement. “As the President has said, the United States is committed to helping facilitate the end of this cruel and senseless war,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a statement. “This agreement signals clearly to Russia that the Trump Administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term,” Bessent said. “And to be clear, no state or person who financed or supplied the Russian war machine will be allowed to benefit from the reconstruction of Ukraine.” Ukraine’s Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko was in Washington to sign on behalf of the Ukrainian government Among the terms of the agreement are “full ownership and control” staying with Ukraine, she posted to X on Wednesday. “All resources on our territory and in territorial waters belong to Ukraine,” she said, adding: “It is the Ukrainian state that determines what and where to extract. Subsoil remains under Ukrainian ownership — this is clearly established in the Agreement.” The signing comes hours after a last-minute disagreement over which documents to sign Wednesday threatened to derail the deal. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky was expected to strike the deal during his trip to Washington in February – but the agreement was left unsigned when that visit was cut short following the contentious Oval Office meeting. Previous sticking points Among the key sticking point of the negotiations was the question of security guarantees – and whether the US would provide them as part of the deal. Trump initially refused that, saying he wants Ukraine to sign the agreement first and talk about guarantees later. At that time, Zelensky described the draft agreement as asking him to “sell” his country. Ukrainian officials have since indicated they believed that US investment and the presence of American companies in Ukraine will make the US more interested in Ukraine’s security. Shortly after the doomed White House visit, Trump ordered US aid to Ukraine to be suspended. While the assistance has since been restored, the episode became a major wakeup call for Ukraine’s European allies, who have pledged to step up their help to the country. Trump has largely billed the agreement as Ukraine “paying back” for the aid the US has provided to Ukraine since Russia launched its unprovoked full-scale invasion of the country in February 2022. Speaking to Fox News Wednesday, Bessent said the deal is “a signal to the American people, that we have a chance to participate, get some of the funding and the weapons, compensation for those.” The details of the agreement have not been made public. However, Ukraine’s Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Sunday that the deal “will not include assistance provided before its signing.” Speaking on Wednesday, Shmyhal described the deal as “a strategic agreement on the establishment of an investment partnership fund.” “It is truly an equal and beneficial international agreement on joint investments in the development and recovery of Ukraine between the US and Ukrainian governments,” he added. Under the deal, the US and Ukraine will create a joint investment fund in Ukraine with an equal contributions from both and equal distribution of management shares between them, Shmyhal said. “The American side may also count new, I emphasize new, military aid to Ukraine as a contribution to this fund,” Shmyhal said. Mineral riches Kyiv’s allies have long eyed the country’s mineral riches. Ukraine has deposits of 22 of the 50 materials classed as critical by the US Geological Survey. These include rare earth minerals and other materials that are critical to the production of electronics, clean energy technologies and some weapon systems. The global production of rare earth minerals and other strategically important materials has long been dominated by China, leaving Western countries desperate for other alternative sources – including Ukraine. A memorandum of understanding prepared under the Biden administration last year said the US would promote investment opportunities in Ukraine’s mining projects to American companies in exchange for Kyiv creating economic incentives and implementing good business and environmental practices. Ukraine already has a similar agreement with the European Union, signed in 2021. The-CNN-Wire & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.