The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

A trade union leader yesterday disclosed that the Government has approved a national COVID-19 training programme targeted primarily at tourism workers and all who come into contact with visitors.

Obie Ferguson, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) president, said the "Competent Authority" or Prime Minister's Office had approved the initiative's introduction after it was recommended by the Government-appointed Economic Recovery Committee.

The veteran unionist and attorney, who is a member of that committee as a labour representative, said: "In keeping with the mandate to reopen The Bahamas and the tourism industry in October 2020, I have been charged specifically to do what is required to engage the expertise of all trade union leaders.

"This collaboration resulted in the creation of a proposal for a national training programme for Bahamian workers, which was approved by the Competent Authority. Today, we take great pleasure in announcing the launch of this economic recovery committee labour training programme, scheduled for Thursday, September 10, 2020, at the National Training Agency.”

Mr Ferguson added: “This historic training showcases the technical and organisational skills of the entire trade union movement, particularly our doctors, our nurses and our educators. The primary aim and objective of this first phase is to provide training to selected participants who will be certified as ambassadors, responsible for training all workers in the hospitality and union industries.

He added that all “hotel workers, restaurant and bar workers, side street vendors, cruise ship and airline employees, including pilots; attendants; porters; helpers; transportation operators; musicians; entertainers; straw and craft woodcarvers; travel and sales agents; Arawak Cay and Potter’s Cay vendors; fish and conch vendors, border protection officers; Customs,; Immigration; certified security officers and others” will be expected to participate in the training.

The TUC president added that he wanted the programme made mandatory for all workers in the tourism sector and those who have first contact with visitors.

When asked how long training will last for, Mr Ferguson said: “We have not yet determined the length, but certainly we are hoping that it will be a sustained programme over several months, if not a year, because all indications are that our economy and the tourism industry certainly will not be up and going for at least a minimum of a year.

"We have invited persons from all of the hotels, particularly all of the major ones, like Baha Mar, Atlantis and others. They are training persons who would be their ambassadors, and they would train the other workers as the need arises. The focus really has been on tourism, and that is where the problem is likely to arise because people are coming in and they have to be trained on how to take their luggage etc."

With timelines and training schedules still being developed, Mr Ferguson said: “The schedule is being worked out, and when this programme is finished they are working on the scheduling of another grouping and their qualification, and we will move forward.

"There are peculiarities that exist in various groups, like Customs and Immigration or the hotel workers, because our industry is all we have as tourism is our country. So, it’s important that we put a special focus on that area.”

Mr Ferguson said the Government is fully sponsoring the national training programme's first phase, but did not give a figure for how much this will cost.