NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) yesterday signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the National Congress of Trade Unions Bahamas (NCTUB) and Trade Union Congress (TUC) on issues the party intends to address should the PLP win the upcoming General Election.
During a joint press conference at the BCPOU Hall, NCTUB President Bernard Evans said the umbrella unions drafted a workers’ agenda that outlines the needs, concerns, and expectations of workers and presented it to each political organization, including the current administration.
Evans noted however that only the PLP responded and was willing to endorse and sign the document.
He said in recent years there has been a controlling and well-designed effort to disrespect and dismantle unions.
“If we don’t protect what we had and we continue to let people demonize and weaken unions, then we will find ourselves right back to pre-1973,” he said.
…We don’t want to back there. We stand yet again on the side of history to renew again an MOU for the deepening of democracy for full participation of workers and worker representative into the development of the country going forward.”
PLP Leader Philip Brave Davis insisted that a PLP government if supported by all unions will support workers’ rights.
“We have committed ourselves to looking into and solving those issues for the benefit of the common good,” he said.
He noted that the party has reviewed the workers’ agenda and “find favor with the spirit and intent of the provisions” and is prepared to demonstrate their support by signing it.
He furthered that the document will also be taken to the party’s leadership council for further review.
Davis said his discussions with the umbrella unions commenced just months after the PLP lost the 2017 General Election.
This is the first time since the Pindling-led government in 1967 that a political party has signed an MOU with the workers’ unions.
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