The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

LABOUR Minister Shane Gibson had “no issue” with recent calls by Public Services Union President John Pinder for National Congress of Trade Unions Bahamas’ members to form a voting block ahead of the 2017 general election, with an aim to oust the PLP.

Mr Gibson, a former trade unionist, argued that Mr Pinder was justified in his proclamation, labelling his statements as a “freedom of expression”.

“That is what democracy is,” the Golden Gates MP told reporters yesterday.

Mr Gibson explained that during his time as a trade unionist, he used similar tactics to push officials to act on his behalf.

“People have a point of view. Some people feel that they have to get into parliament and demonstrate, some people believe they have to write letters and state their objections, some people feel like they have to go on the talk shows and comment on certain things. I can’t fault them for that.”

Mr Gibson added that as a government, the PLP would allow its record on labour matters to speak for them ahead of the 2017 general election.

“What I am saying is our record speaks for itself. We had a validation of trade union bills we did specifically for the hotel union to validate their existence. Specifically to validate their union. So I didn’t hear the hotel union say these things.

“We had the Randol Fawkes Labour Day. We had the revocation removed, amended, where employers can no longer ask for revocation of trade unions. We had a number of pieces of trade union legislation that we have introduced to help the trade unions.”

On Friday, Mr Pinder called for “a change in our country” as hotel workers protested outside the Melià Nassau Beach Resort, Cable Beach. The protest was prompted by Melia’s decision to stop deducting union dues from staff wages.

Mr Pinder maintained that he has no problem with foreign investment, but couldn’t accept those investors treating Bahamian workers inappropriately.

Addressing the Melia’s decision, Mr Gibson noted that he has already moved to make amendments to the Industrial Relations Act to ensure that workers are protected in similar matters.

He added that actions taken by the resort in recent weeks have been “nothing short of union busting”.

He said: “The union has had a very long relationship with the hotels of the country, and for them to now decide that they will stop deducting union dues, I think the message that they are sending is that they no longer want the union around.

“(The government is) not going to allow any employer to put that kind of pressure on workers. We already had discussions with the Office of the Attorney General; the case is being appealed by the hotel union. I have already asked my colleagues to see how we can help with the appeals process,” said Mr Gibson.

In early August, Melia announced that it was not obligated to facilitate the payment of hotel union dues, citing recent appellate and Supreme Court rulings which specified that such obligations only be carried out where a valid industrial agreement exists.