Newly appointed Labour Director John Pinder said his first order of business is to ensure Bahamian workers are trained in order to be able to keep up with the changing times.
On the sidelines of the ground breaking for a new $120 million Goldwyn hotel on West Bay Street last week, Pinder said, he is also going after employers who “do not follow the law” when it comes to employee salaries.
“We have to be able to shift our attitudes in the work place in terms of multi-tasking. So, I will be trying as best I can to get workers to reach the point where they have to multi task and get into technology to keep their job because technology is replacing us,” Pinder said.
“I also want employers to know, I will not allow them to work employees hard and not give them any good salaries or don’t give them benefits. So, I would like for these persons, when going into business, to consider and ensure you have a good business plan that will speak to you being able to pay their staff in a timely manner and where possible, try to create pension plans for staff.”
Pinder also said he is reviewing the current labor compliments at all projects currently underway in New Providence to ensure Bahamians are getting a fair deal.
“I want to review our immigration work permits ,” he said, “and see how many person we can steer, working with various government institutions, working with the University of the Bahamas (UB) and The Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) and other institutions, to see how we can actually get some Bahamians to look at the discipline in which most of the work permits are being issued, and see if we can train them or qualify them for those positions.”
Pinder, former president of the Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU), was appointed director in the Ministry of Labour May 18.
He replaced Robert Farquharson, who has subsequently been promoted to a new position in the ministry as executive manager.
