The Tribune

The political party formed from the labour movement has abandoned its roots and the Attorney General's directions against the unions have exposed its contempt for Bahamian people, says Malcom J Strachan

By the end of this week, Allyson Maynard-Gibson, the Attorney-General of the Bahamas, should have either resigned from her post or be fired by Prime Minister Perry Christie. It is that simple.

The Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) has no choice in the matter. If the party wants to stand even a glimmer of a chance in 2017, Mrs Maynard-Gibson has to go.

The Free National Movement (FNM) has already called for her resignation, and three sitting members of the Cabinet have publicly disagreed with her decision to stop a private prosecution of senior management at Sandals via a nolle prosequi.

The leaders of the Labour movement were rightly incensed to learn that on the day of the termination of 600 employees, the Government’s lead attorney was busy ensuring that no private charges could be brought against the executives - essentially blocking the union and the workers right in their tracks.

To understand how unbelievable this action is, we must first remind the public from where the PLP, as a political organisation, has come. The PLP was formed from the belly of the labour movement in this country. The party has always aligned itself with the workers in this nation and, as such, has prided itself on being on the side of the “small man” or the working class. That has been the party’s modus operandi from its inception.

Of course we all know that the PLP betrayed that legacy long ago, but the façade has been maintained and bandied about during election time for votes. That is, until now.

Now, the Attorney-General has blown that pretense to smithereens.

FNM MP for Long Island, Loretta Butler-Turner, was the first of her colleagues to pounce on Mrs Maynard-Gibson, trashing her for her “callous and uncaring attitude” towards workers in this country.

Mrs Butler-Turner said: “The PLP is disrupting the judicial process and playing fast and loose with the rule of law by intervening in a private matter that affects the lives of hundreds of Bahamian workers and their families. The government has secretly intervened in a court matter, clearly taking sides with foreign interests over hard working Bahamians. The Bahamas Court, the arbiter and proper place for justice to be carried out for all, is being circumvented by a heavy-handed, non-transparent and unaccountable administration, which has a habit of siding with foreign interests at the expense of Bahamians.”

Mrs Butler Turner added that the government was “acting in an autocratic and dictatorial manner” by denying the constitutional rights of Bahamians seeking justice through the judicial system. We could not agree with her more.

The Government, through their Attorney General, instead of allowing the courts to decide the arguments on both sides of this case, stepped in the middle of it and became the judge and jury. They decided to not give the workers a chance.

For clarity, the prosecution involved allegations that Sandals general manager Gary Williams and financial controller Fitzroy Walker failed or refused to enter into contract negotiations with the Bahamas Hotel Maintenance and Allied Workers Union from November 16, 2015, to July 12, 2016.

Williams and Walker were accused of intimidating three workers and union officials and firing them unlawfully. They pleaded not guilty to the charge.

So on the face of it, what was so pressing that warranted the Government to intervene? Where was the national security risk, or their latest pretext of “national sovereignty” to warrant such an intervention? As we all can see, there was none.

What is worse is that the Attorney-General made this decision more than a month ago, while members of her Government were still out attempting to negotiate with the unions and their leaders towards a resolution. For their part, the union leaders were livid when they heard the news.

Trade Union President, Obie Ferguson, said he remained in the dark despite holding two subsequent meetings with the Attorney-General. Mr Ferguson also held three meetings with the Prime Minister, and at no time did either person make him aware that a nolle had been filed to dismiss the case against the Sandals executives!

“They should have mentioned to us from August 15, they had already signed off on the nolle prosequi. They should have indicated to us that they intended to discontinue that,” he told the press. “What is sad is that the Bahamian workers who were charged, their matter is going on. So why wouldn’t the government nolle it? On October 23 they have to be in court. Is the Bahamas for Bahamians or what?

“We have done what I think any responsible body ought to have done,” he added, “that is to deal with the government up front, but it’s quite obvious that if the AG signed off on the 15th, and these people were fired on the 15th, and if they met with us and they never disclosed to us what they did, that speaks volumes.”

For his part, Mr Ferguson warned that the united labour movement will be taking a “position on this matter”. But what does that actually mean?

What will Mr Ferguson and the other union leaders do? Can they finally show this Government that they are more than a shadow of their former selves?

Their members are calling for a nationwide strike - to bring the Government to its knees. But we doubt that will happen because we have seen a systematic dismantling of the labour movement in this country over the last four and half years by this PLP administration.

For the membership of these unions and its leaders, this is a time that will test their fortitude and determine their relevance in a modern Bahamas. Can they show their members why they even exist in the first instance, and second, that they are capable of impacting decision making by any government? We shall wait and see.

But what we do know is that the Government’s pretense of putting Bahamians first has been laid bare for the world to see as nothing more than cheap public relations and spin. They care very little about Bahamians, or workers in this country. As far as the PLP is concerned, workers are only here to be used as pawns.

Just listen to their electioneering slogans which are flooding the airwaves with promises of a “Stronger Bahamas”. The patronising and condescending tone that this campaign has taken, which we hasten to add is being run by foreigners, shows you their true contempt for the Bahamian people.

And we do not use that word contempt lightly. Because that is all it can be - contempt. The PLP and its leadership must hold a deep-seated hatred for the people of this country. Because at every turn, they have misled us, outright lied to us, or abused us in every way possible.

They can no longer hold firm to their campaign promises of putting Bahamians first, because at every turn they have only secured the interest of foreigners over Bahamians.

We end by asking the same question that Mr Ferguson asked earlier: when will the Bahamas be for Bahamians?

The answer is simple - when the PLP is removed from office, and true, accountable governance is returned to this land.

Until then, we as citizens and workers who love this country must protect it from those who would abuse us, and use us.

We must not let the inheritors of the “all for me baby” regime to continue to push us into oblivion. We must stand and take back our country, to ensure its survival. We must stand, and be counted now, before it is too late.

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