The Tribune

By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE association representing straw vendors says it wants the new administration to engage vendors in discussions on the re-opening of the Nassau Straw Market after months of being left in limbo on the market’s return under the former government.

Straw Vendors Advancement Association President Celestine Eneas told The Tribune yesterday that more than a year later, workers still have no clue what the future holds for them as there was little to no communication with the previous government about the market’s reopening.

She said the group only hopes the new Davis administration does not follow in the footsteps of its predecessor and will better communicate with vendors going forward.

“I haven’t heard anything from the new administration as yet but hopefully, going forward I hope that we would be able to get something,” Ms Eneas said in an interview with The Tribune yesterday.

“Vendors are important to this economy. We have to fight hard to distribute the money through The Bahamas. Everybody (is) trying to say that straw vendors need to go back and sell what we used to sell but the market was closed for 20 months, 20 months.”

She added: “I want to know how we’re going to pay our rent. How we gonna pay our mortgage and how we’re going to do these things. . .and I call upon this government to consider us. People are losing their houses left right and centre. People are losing their cars. Families have to move in with other families and it’s going to go on and on and on.

“I just heard a story of another straw vendor who got put out their house and if you have been out of work for 20 months and your mortgage is $1,000 of $1,500 you tell me how you’re supposed to make it?”

The association president said it’s unfair that other businesses can benefit from the tourists visiting downtown while the straw vendors can’t because their place of employment remains closed.

“The (foreigners) have taken over Bay Street and they’re selling souvenirs and nobody, the Bahamian people ain’t even complain about that and they’re wide open. The government even open them up on Sunday and all and they can work every day and nobody is concerned about us,” she said.

“The straw vendors are the only ones who I know is closed and maybe the jet ski operators and all of us are poor people but the rich man came in here and get some Bahamian to put the franchise in their name and they’re open.”

Ms Eneas said after being “disrespected” over the last year, it’s time for workers to have a seat at the table and get their concerns addressed.

“Discussions with the previous administration was not good at all with us. They did no dialogue with us whatsoever. You would call and everything would fall on deaf ears and like I told the people I supported the (former) government until they was voted out but they did not give us a piece of the pie,” she added.

“We didn’t get the respect that we deserve and I’m hoping that it will be different with this government. I am hoping that we have a seat to the table where we could discuss and come back owners and not workers.”

Former Works Minister Desmond Bannister, who had responsibility for the Straw Market, attributed low vaccination numbers among vendors as one of the reasons for the market’s continued shutdown.

However, it is not clear how many workers have been vaccinated to date, with Mrs Eneas telling The Tribune she could not say.

She said: “I don’t know what the vaccinate (rate) is but I know one thing but this new government could come and speak to find out how many persons are vaccinated and who ain’t vaccinated.”

According to Ms Eneas, more than 300 workers have been negatively affected due to the downtown site’s continued closure.

She said many of those workers have no plans to return to the market because of old age and “mistreatment” by management.

“Out of the 360, I think they told me it was 24 vendors who died but I know of 18 or 19 vendors who died but plenty of the vendors say they won’t be coming back because we have a lot of old people in there and then some of them was on the verge of giving up even before the COVID because of the harsh way they were being treated in the market so plenty won’t be coming back,” Mrs Eneas said.

On Wednesday, Minister of Works Alfred Sears said there is a need to get the market reopened. He said he recently met with the market’s management team.

“The Straw Market has been closed for well over a year now, so we have to get that open and it has to be done in a manner that’s consistent with the COVID protocols and the conditions that the Ministry of Health has imposed on them,” Mr Sears said.