The joint labour movement will participate in the week of activities culminating with the 2006 Labour Day parade, trade union leaders said Tuesday, however, they also cautioned that all is not well within the organised labour movement in the country.
Speaking at a press conference, held at the Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union headquarters on Farrington Road, president of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas Trade Union Congress (TUC) Obie Ferguson urged decision-makers not to overlook the welfare of workers.
“Itﾒs good to have these nice hotels and itﾒs good to have these various infrastructure developments, but where are we in the scheme of things? Thatﾒs the important thing,” said Mr. Ferguson.
“Thatﾒs what we have to ask ourselves. We shouldnﾒt be satisfied just because we wear a suit and tie.”
Highlighting concerns that Bahamian workers may not be benefiting to the extent that they should within their own country, the TUC leader called on leaders of government and business to ensure that The Bahamas is developed in a way that would ensure its long-term viability for its citizens.
“This is our country,” he said.
“Our children are going to succeed us and we must ensure that we leave a good base for them. We have to be careful or else this country is going to run away. I see some things happening in The Bahamas today that I have never seen before. There are more foreign people taking jobs than I have ever seen ﾖ everywhere I turn now.”
Also speaking at the press conference, president of the National Congress of Trade Unions, Pat Bain, cited concern that the country is not being developed in a way that is most advantageous to Bahamians.
Consequently, he said, the current labour climate in The Bahamas is not favourable to workers.
“In the past we had employers who were more receptive to the trade union movement,” Mr. Bain said.
“We dealt normally with the human resources managers and the union leaders and so the ability to sign industrial agreements and have them implemented was quite easy. Today though, with the new multinational companies that are coming into the country, bringing new concepts, they are now hiring lawyers because they recognise that the legislation that governs the relationship between the parties is very weak.”
Mr. Bain said some employers now utilise their attorneys in order to find a way around the provisions of the countryﾒs labour laws to the disadvantage of some workers.
This year a week of activities will precede the Labour Day holiday, beginning with a church service at Mount Olive Baptist Church on Sunday, May 28, appearances by labour leaders on various radio talk shows and a national television address by the presidents of both umbrella unions, leading up to the annual Labour Day parade and rally on Friday June 2.
Noting other worries, both leaders expressed concern about the spate of industrial unrest in the country over the last several months resulting from stalled contract talks, the inability to conclude various industrial agreements and the failure of some groups to secure recognition as an authorised bargaining agent.
Referring to the stalled contract talks and less than harmonious relations that have been experienced recently, Mr. Bain foreshadowed that there could be significantly negative repercussions if those situations are not soon addressed.
“Pretty soon this country might find itself flooded with industrial action, workers being out in the street, demonstrations and pressure on the government because the workers arenﾒt going to take anymore of the bad working conditions, bad treatment from employers and the rest of it,” he said.
Mr. Ferguson, meanwhile, called for a proactive approach by trade union leaders in addressing the challenges facing the countryﾒs workers.
“We as trade union leaders are social partners. We have a major role to play in this country,” he said.
“We have always done that throughout our history. Every social change that came about it didnﾒt come about by sitting around the table discussing anything. Every time we got something done in this country we had to do some things, but now all of a sudden we are all intellectuals.”
Reiterating a familiar call, Mr. Ferguson once again urged the government to enact legislation which would give effect to the provisions of International Labour Organisation Convention 87 locally.
He noted, however, that the trade union movement would not be inactive until such legislative action is taken.
“We want to make sure that whatever we do it is done in a systematic and orderly fashion and I see no reason why the NCTU and the TUC cannot develop a protocol among themselves which has nothing to do with government,” said Mr. Ferguson.
“Thatﾒs something to do with us so we can sit down and work out language that is acceptable to both sides, language that is acceptable to the affiliates from the various bodies and something that we as a body can live with.”
The theme for the Labour Day celebration this year is ﾑNCTU and TUC: United to Face the Challenges of Globalizationﾒ.
Mr. Ferguson said he is confident that the participation by the two umbrella organisations and their affiliates in the week of activities associated with Labour Day is a good sign for the trade union movement.
“I think this Labour Day again shows the maturity in the respective bodies in that we need not be in the same house to be united,” he said.
“As long as there are issues affecting workers I think we should find a common ground. This again is an indication that the NCTU and the TUC can work together in the interest of workers of our country.”
By: Darrin Culmer, The Bahama Journal
