The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Philip “Brave” Davis said that a portion of the salaries paid to Cuban medical professionals employed by the Bahamian government is sent to an agency in Cuba, a practice he defended but said would also be reviewed.

However, he said he did not know whether that portion ultimately goes to the Cuban government.

Last month, the Trump administration announced an expansion of its Cuba-related visa restriction policy, saying the policy applies to foreign government officials who are believed to be responsible for or involved in Cuba’s labour export programme, particularly that country’s overseas medical missions. The policy also applies to the immediate family of such people.

Some reports indicate that Cuban professionals involved in the labour export programme receive a small percentage of their salary, with much of the money going to the Cuban government either directly or through an intermediary.

Under International Labour Organisation (ILO) standards on fair labour, wage payment, and workers’ rights, employees must be free to receive and use their wages without undue interference. The handling of Cuban professionals’ salaries is central to US accusations of forced labour, with concerns that a significant portion is withheld by the Cuban government rather than paid directly to the workers.

Beyond wages, US officials are also likely to question whether Cuban workers have freedom of movement. In some countries, there have been reports of workers’ passports being confiscated, raising further concerns about coercion and restricted autonomy.

Nonetheless, some reports indicate that certain Cuban professionals view participation in these international missions as coveted opportunities. These missions often provide higher earnings compared to domestic salaries, along with opportunities for travel and professional development.

Mr Davis could not say how much Cuban workers’ salaries are diverted to an agency in Cuba.

He likened The Bahamas’ agreement with Cuba to the contract work system The Bahamas had with the US in the 1940s to 1960s, where a portion of workers’ salaries were deducted. 

“If you speak to your grandparents, even your father, you’d recall the contract base, and that was not dissimilar to that,” he said. “Now, of course, things evolved, and we all know this. We would have to review what that meant today.”

The contract system, driven by US agricultural demands during World War II, saw Bahamians recruited to work in the United States. In The Bahamas, deductions were split between a savings fund and relatives back home, whereas in the Cuban case, deductions reportedly go toward state revenue, and Cuban workers receive far less than what host countries pay them for their labour.

Nonetheless, Mr Davis emphasised that no Caribbean country intentionally permits forced labour.

The US policy, he said, “requires us to examine our arrangement, to determine whether it is or not. But in our case, before we engaged anyone from Cuba, we sent a team of professionals, sometimes numbering up to 12, to interview persons who would like to fill the needs that we had”.

He said the government is still reviewing its agreements with Cuba to ensure compliance with international labour standards. 

Some Caribbean leaders have spoken firmly against the US action. 

Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley said her country does not currently employ Cuban medical professionals but credited Cuban doctors and nurses with helping Barbados navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, stating the country would not have managed without them.

She called on CARICOM nations to defend the Cuban programme.

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Keith Rowley and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves also rejected the US characterisation of Cuban medical missions as forced labour.

Mr Davis responded more carefully, saying: “This doesn’t require any loud mouth.”

“We have no concerns about being banned,” he added.