NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) Leader Philip Brave Davis said yesterday that he has been in discussions with the umbrella trade unions since the end of the 2017 General Election.
Davis made the comment during a signing of 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 become the next government.
Several leaders from the auxiliary unions were present at yesterday’s signing and meeting, including the Bahamas Nurses Union, Bahamas Utilities Services and Allied Workers Union (BUSAWU), Customs, Immigration, and Allied Workers Union (BCIAW), and others.
Asked about criticisms of the deal with union leaders as the September 16 election day nears, Davis said the relationship should come as no surprise, as the PLP has a history of working with the labour movement.
“Why would you think it would be a political gimmick. This is where it started and this is where it is going to end and stay,” he said.
Davis said he first approached the umbrella unions several months after the PLP lost the 2017 General Elections.
He insisted however that the unions remained in talks with the government and were “hopeful” that their issues would be addressed under the Minnis administration.
“Whatever the critics may say and yes we’ll be criticized and I would expect to hear these observations made by these detractors but the truth of the matters the union were hopeful because of the representation made by them during the last election,” Davis said.
“…Yes we were talking but at the end of the day, they were hopeful. It’s just that things continued to deteriorate.”
Davis said he wrote the umbrella unions six months ago and said “let’s see what we could do, let’s see how we could help”.
He added: “There is no wrong time to do the right thing”.
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.
Several affiliates of the National Congress of Trade Unions Bahamas (NCTUB) declared yesterday that they were not involved in the signing of the MOU with the PLP.
In a statement, bashing the move by the executives of the NCTUB, nine of the trade union’s affiliates said they have “never” seen the Workers’ Agenda, were not aware of the contents of the MOU and was not consulted during the process.
However, responding to the allegations, the NCTUB said the MOU signed with the PLP was approved by the majority executive council of the umbrella trade union and is pending ratification by its central council.
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