The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

FNM deputy leader Loretta Butler-Turner yesterday accused the government of “betraying” former City Markets employees by promising action, yet delivering nothing but talk.

In a statement, Mrs Butler Turner said despite its “fast talk” during the election campaign about quick relief for Bahamian workers, the PLP has failed to act or been slow to act in a repeat of the “late-again style” of the last Christie government.

“The latest betrayal of Bahamian workers concerns scores of former employees at City Markets. The PLP has a sad history in terms of past decisions which played a role in the demise of a once well-established supermarket chain.

“During the election, the PLP promised all manner of relief in terms of assisting these employees to get redundancy payments and pension funds owed to them. The workers at City Market are still waiting,” the release said.

“They are waiting on the PLP to do what they promised to do in a timely manner. The Christie government is not only late. They have demonstrated a callous and indifferent attitude to workers who have waited more than long enough to receive funds owed to them. It is time for the PLP to stop talking and re-promising. It is now time for action.”

On Monday, Minister of Labour Shame Gibson told The Tribune negotiations concerning City Markets are going “well”. Former employees of the failed supermarket have been demanding a collective $3 million severance package and questioning the status of their multi-million dollar pension fund since the chain folded last April.

Prime Minister Perry Christie announced earlier the government has had meetings with Trans-Island Traders head Mark Finlayson – the boss of City Markets – about the former employees’ concerns.

Mr Gibson said those talks “look very promising” and are going better than they were earlier.

“I don’t want to give the details but we are working on both ends,” he said. “We’re working on the ends of those who are entitled to redundancy payment and it looks very promising. Much more promising now than it looked a month ago.

“The government is also looking to aid former employees who are in the pension plan, and so on both ends it is looking very, very good.”