Ferguson: MoU signed with PLP had been open to the FNM too
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — A prominent trade union leader yesterday expressed hope for improved relations between the government and the trade union movement, telling Eyewitness News: “It’s not about politics.”
Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Obie Ferguson, in an interview with Eyewitness News, defended a controversial memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) just before the general election.
Ferguson said: “I am hoping that we will get some things done for the unions and the workers in this country. A lot of the things we are asking for is not going to cost the government a dime.
“A lot of those things are procedural issues. We weren’t given anything. A lot of agreements were just ignored by the previous administration. Hopefully we will have better success with this administration.
“There was a big deal made about the MoU that we signed with the PLP but that was open to FNM (Free National Movement) as well. People thought we were playing politics but we were not.
“This is not about politics; it is about looking out for the best interests of the workers.
“I believe that was the second MoU we signed with the PLP. The last one was in 1964. Agency shop came about as a result of that.
“We met with the DNA and the independents. The MoU was something we presented to all parties.”
Ahead of the September 16 general election, the TUC and the National Congress of Trade Unions of The Bahamas (NCTUB) signed an MoU with the PLP over labor law and policy reform promises.
Among the issues covered in the MoU are raising the redundancy cap to 24 months through changes to the Employment Act; automatic agency shop; working towards the enactment of a livable wage; and redefining wages to include all forms of income, including tips and gratuities.
The move has been criticized by some private sector stakeholders, and several affiliates of the NCTUB declared that they were not involved in the signing of the MoU and had “no confidence” in its president, Bernard Evans.
Still, Ferguson insisted that the MoU signing was intended to secure better protections and provisions for workers.
Ferguson told Eyewitness News that he intends to continue to press government to look at the issue of the suspension of redundancy provisions.
“We have people who have [been] on furlough for almost two years. That’s not right and we have to correct that,” he said.
Reforms to the Employment Act in 2017 mandate that once workers have been sent home for a 13-week period or 90-day period, an employer has to either to recall them to work or terminate them with full compensation as required by law.
As a result of the COVID-19 emergency orders, redundancy provisions requiring local businesses to pay full severance to furloughed workers has been suspended.
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