They say that they are for the ‘small man’ or the ordinary worker in this country. The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has made that claim for years and years, but is it really so?
The reality is that the PLP, prior to majority rule in 1967, had as part of its platform, a major plank regarding the implementation of minimum wage. But in 25 years it did nothing about it.
It was the Free National Movement (FNM) government, led by Hubert A. Ingraham, that made minimum wage a reality, most importantly for the ‘small man?’
The FNM not only created minimum wage, which over the years has caused many worker’s wages to be increased, but it did so primarily for the most challenged in our society – those at the bottom of the totem pole, who over the years were most in need of their government’s action in this regard.
Lest we forget, the Pindling-led PLP was in government from 1967 to 1972, 1972 to 1977, 1977 to 1982, 1982 to 1987, 1987 to 1992.
That is 25 years consecutively and it did not find minimum wage sufficiently im- portant to pass the necessary legislation to make it a reality. What a crying shame. And the PLP has the audacity to claim that it is for the ‘small man?’
Minimum wage is only the beginning of the 25 years of shameful and scandalous lack of caring and compassion by the PLP government.
The FNM also ushered in the 40-hour work week.
Can you imagine? Prior to that employees were required to work 48 hours a week before one cent of overtime was paid to them.
And that was at a time when most of the world had long moved to the 40-hour work week.
But that is not all. In fact, the FNM government also ushered in employment protection for pregnant women in the workplace.
Today, as a result of the FNM’s groundbreaking employment legislation, passed by a caring, compassionate and progressive FNM government, women who are pregnant, on maternity leave or soon after giving birth cannot legally be terminated by their employer.
Unfortunately, we lived (less so today) in a time when employers, all too often, saw women who became pregnant as burdens.
Clearly, these were discriminatory practices and some of the worst kind.
But, that has ended for the most part, and where and when it rears its ugly head today, because of a caring, compassionate and progressive FNM government, wo-men can seek legal redress and be compensated.
But it does not end there. In fact, the FNM government created a legislative right not to be fired without cause.
The employer, in other words, is now required by law to have cause to terminate your employment. They can’t legally, simply just ‘let you go’ as we say.
This is important because if you are a good worker, you should have some expectation of continued employment.
Today, if an employer terminates your employment unfairly, apart from unlawfully, you can seek legal redress and be compensated because of a caring, compassionate and progressive FNM government.
It still does not end there. The FNM government in this term made unemployment compensation a reality, as it exists in most, if not all, developed countries.
Just imagine, for the first time ever in our nation, employees who lose their jobs could seek unemployment benefits.
In other words, they can be paid for a period until they find other employment.
It was long overdue and needed for a very long time, but it was made a reality under this caring, compassionate and progressive FNM government.
After 25 long years in government, the PLP did not do any of the above to aid the ‘small man’ or the ordinary worker (wo-men in particular, a lot of them being the sole breadwinner), to help those of little and challenged means, but they would like us to buy their story and one they tell often, as if we are expected to believe it because they say it so often – that they are for the ‘small man?’
But we know better. As the saying goes, “Because you say it often, it does not make it so.”
The ‘small man’ knows who is for him and that is Hubert A. Ingraham and the Free National Movement.
Michael A. Foulkes
FNM secretary general
