The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

MEMBERS of the governing Progressive Liberal Party yesterday took issue with the sit in action orchestrated by the Trade Union Congress and We March Bahamas, calling the action by the groups a direct affront to the government.

As news of the attempt to “shut the country down” began to spread among those attending the PLP’s 52nd National Convention, the response was quick and consistent - “this is an attack on the governance offered by the PLP.”

While Prime Minister Perry Christie brushed off questions related to the action outside the party’s convention hall, many in the PLP made their opposition to the action known.

When asked for his take yesterday, Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller called Wednesday’s move a unification of two groups that “love to sit on their a.”

Mr Miller implored the Christie Cabinet not to caution the action taken by the groups in their attempt to attract national attention, adding that it was “time for the rubber to hit the road” with respect to the constant claims by the movement that their members intend to “shut the country down”.

“They want go sit down, let them sit down,” Mr Miller said. “That is their business. But does that affect any business in this country, probably affects some. But what happens when they go to work tomorrow? Then they get cut.”

Mr Miller said the government has done all it could do to address these matters, insisting that those involved are only interested in “frustrating the system” with the hope that the action pushes voters against the governing party.

“This is what we got, union leaders hijacking their unions because they have an ego. Because they want to show that they are some politician or they on par with someone.

Referring to the union representatives, Mr Miller, chairman of the Water and Sewerage Corporation, said: “They are pure hogs.”

He continued: “Let me give you an example, Water and Sewerage, the government pumps in $30m per year; (the corporation) is broke on its a, never had no money except what the people put into it. You have people there, one guy took three years off from work, he is a big union man, say he had an industrial accident. Fall down somewhere. Got paid for three years, three solid years I say and then come back to work and ask why he wasn’t promoted like everyone else.

“I say, say what? He say we owed him $15,000. I say, my brother, do me a favour and go die somewhere because for you to have the belief that you could get fat off of the people, that is upsetting to me.”

Mr Miller also restated comments he made during the initial We March protest last November, asserting that the We March organisation was made up of old factions of the United Bahamian Party and “rich black Bahamians who couldn’t give a damn about the poor potcakes.”

“I am talking about the white Bahamians. Most of them have always been against us. From the time we took over the reigns of government in 1967.”

For his part, Tourism Minister Obie Wilchcombe urged the country, specifically the media, to judge the merit of the groups leading the action.

Mr Wilchcombe said it had now become blatantly clear that the action taken had very little to do with resolution, but instead was designed to undermine and discredit the government.

“Obviously it is all being politically motivated by a group of people who continue to do all they can to cause an issue,” said Mr Wilchcombe.

“They want to send messages. They want to interrupt our convention. But the truth is we have caused on several occasions opportunities for these people to come in and sit and talk with us.

“To that end, they have brushed us off. Now yet again they want to make a spectacle of what is going on and continue to refuse all opportunities for resolutions. You the people now need to ask the important question, what are these guys trying to achieve?”

TUC President Obie Ferguson said on Wednesday that the members of several unions across the country were carrying out a “sit in” at respective government departments in a bid to pressure the government to accede to a lengthy list of demands for workers.

A small group of protesters, about two dozen, demonstrated in Rawson Square, some with placards for a few hours on Wednesday.

However, Labour Minister Shane Gibson yesterday downplayed the impact of the so-called sit in, saying there were minimal reports of industrial action in the public sector.