The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Dr Hubert Minnis has accused the Progressive Liberal Party of “deceiving” Bahamians after a Memorandum of Understanding with two umbrella labour unions exposed discord among affiliates last week.

Dr Minnis said the party would do anything for power, adding “that’s them though, they flam (deceive) the people.”

Last Wednesday, the PLP signed a MoU with the National Congress of Trade Unions Bahamas and Trade Union Congress committing the party to ensuring that long-standing union issues are resolved, and the function of the united unions continues in the best interest of workers should the party win the next general election.

Though the pact was not made public and had not been ratified at that point, such key union figures as Obie Ferguson, TUC president, rejoiced in a possible win by the PLP as he suggested that they planned to visit churches urging them to tell their parishioners to vote for the party.

However, the next day, nine affiliate unions of the NCTUB denounced the MoU and their president Bernard Evans saying they were not involved with the signing of the document, had never seen it and were not aware of its contents.

They also noted the union’s Central Council did not ratify any document, hence the signing was not on their behalf.

When he addressed supporters on Saturday night at the Free National Movement’s second drive-in rally of the election campaign, Dr Minnis said PLP Leader Philip “Brave” Davis began his campaign with “deception”.

“I could think of 90 reasons why Brave should not be Prime Minister,” the Killarney candidate said at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre grounds. “But I don’t have time to give you all of them, so tonight I only have time to give the reasons for a few.

“Brave has started this campaign with a deception. He and his chairman had a big show this week saying they signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the major umbrella union organisations.

“He was on the front page of the newspapers trying to look like he made a big, big move. The next day we found out that the PLP was deceiving the Bahamian people. Various unions said they were not a part of that, including the three biggest unions in our country.

They said they were not with the PLP like how Brave and his chairman (Fred Mitchell) wanted you to believe. That’s them though they ‘flam’ the people.

“To get power they will say just about anything. They are bankrupt in more ways than one.

“You cannot trust Brave and his PLP. If he gets back in office, you don’t have to guess how he would govern. Just look at the track record of the other PLP governments, look at how he left Cat island and San Salvador despite decades representing them and after he served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Works.”

Distancing themselves from the MoU last week were the Airport, Airline & Allied Workers Union; Bahamas Airline Pilots Association; Bahamas Commercial Stores & Warehouse Union; Bahamas Financial Services Union; Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union; Bahamas Musician & Entertainers Union; Bahamas Public Services Union; Bahamas Union of Teachers and the Union of Public Officers.

Yesterday, Mr Ferguson said while he was not privileged to the inner workings of the NCTUB, he was surprised by the decision of the nine affiliates to distance themselves from the MoU.

On Friday, Dr Minnis and several candidates spoke to supporters during a drive-in rally in Grand Bahama, where they laid out plans to boost the economy and create jobs. The FNM is seeking to retain the five seats it won in Grand Bahama in 2017.

“Early in our next term, we are going to put in place the Homeporting Act, similar to the Hotel Encouragement Act,” Dr Minnis said.

“The expansion of the Grand Bahama Shipyard will begin as early — listen to me now — the expansion, that is work for you, will begin as early as October of this year.”