The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

DESPITE the annual Labour Day parade being cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions, union officials said yesterday they still plan to celebrate the patriotic holiday this year and honour the four women who died during the 2018 parade.

Speaking to The Tribune yesterday, president of The National Congress of Trade Unions of The Bahamas, Bernard Evans said after having to cancel the annual event in view of COVID-19 orders, officials decided they would still honour the holiday, but in a different manner than usual.

He said: “Leading up to and given the exigency orders from the prime minister and the lockdowns and all that, we had an idea that pretty much the Labour Day march as usual would’ve been somewhat compromised and may not have been allowed to happen.

“…So, we had a vote and members decided. . .there’s just too much going on and we can’t really have the march, not this Friday. And, so each affiliate was asked to do what they can and some said they were going to provide some sustenance for the elderly.”

He continued: “Some said that they would provide sustenance for the frontline workers or the essential workers. We all agreed that at least for us we will hit all the radio shows to express when labour is and still what Labour Day means for us and talk about some of the advancement over the year, what we always do.”

Speaking ahead of yesterday’s Cabinet meeting, Labour Minister Dion Foulkes told reporters that union members wanted to commemorate the four women who lost their lives during the 2018 parade.

He said: “(This Labour Day) will be totally different and very difficult to enjoy in terms of bringing a lot of people together. (But) we want to remember our fallen sisters who tragically died two years ago during the Labour Day parade.

“There was some special events that was planned around their memory so we want to continue to express our condolences to their family and to bring whatever comfort that we can.”

In honour of those women, Mr Evans told The Tribune that union members also planned on laying memorial wreaths on their graves.

“We’re still going to do that,” he said. “I understand that we may also want to try to recognise Sir Randol (Fawkes) by maybe even taking a wreath to his tomb, his final resting place. And so, we’re still trying to do some (things), given the restraints that we have.”

This is the first time in the country’s history the annual Labour Day celebration has had to be cancelled.

However, according to Mr Evans, the union is hoping that government officials will allow them to reschedule the festive event at a later date this year.

“…Our side decided that let’s petition the government maybe for another day down the year, once this COVID-19 subsides,” he said.

“So October 12 came up and we know that that is Heroes Day and so we have not yet petitioned officially but we have softy mentioned it to the government, to our minister of labour for consideration and also not take away from Heroes Day but to see if that is a day we could use to really celebrate labour.”

He continued: “And if it’s approved, we’re also looking for them to do something else with that. October 12 falls on a Monday and so it will be hard-pressed for people to really march and go to work on a Tuesday so perhaps even asking further to consider maybe moving it to that Friday so people will still have the weekend to recuperate.”