The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

THE DEPUTY prime minister yesterday rejected accusations by trade union leaders that he is neglecting their concerns and ignoring calls for intervention in workplace disputes.

Chester Cooper, also minister of tourism, investments and aviation, told Tribune Business he was “always available” to meet with organised labour representatives at an agreed time after union leaders publicly voiced their displeasure over progress - or the alleged lack of it - in resolving the grievances of air traffic controllers at Lynden Pindling International Airport (LPIA).

Obie Ferguson, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) president, said: “We have a hurdle, and that is the deputy prime minister. He is in fundamental breach of the Memorandum of Understanding. He has refused to meet with air traffic controllers. If air traffic stopped tomorrow, this country is closed down. Simple.”

The air traffic controllers’ concerns are understood to relate to security protocols at LPIA, particularly the search procedures they undergo before being admitted to the control tower. It is thought the controllers, and their union representatives, believe the searches are too intrusive and invasive, especially for female controllers.

Mr Cooper, though, refuted the union concerns. “The Government is a friend of the labor movement,” he said in response to this newspaper’s inquiries. “We have executed more industrial agreements in the last year than the previous government did in five years. We have an open door policy with labour unions. I am available always to meet with Mr Obie Ferguson or any other union at a mutually agreed time.”

The Memorandum of Understanding referred to by Mr Ferguson was signed between the then-Opposition Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and the two main umbrella union bodies, the TUC and National Congress of Trade Unions of The Bahamas (NCTUB), in August 2021 prior to that year’s general election.

It was viewed a the time by some as a mere “gimmick” to gain votes. However, now-prime minister Philip Davis KC denied this at the time and described the Memorandum of Understanding as “historic”. He said: “Today we are here, and we sign an (agreement) with the two umbrella unions signalling the unification of labour as well.”

Mr Ferguson, though, yesterday asserted that Mr Cooper has declined to meet with the unions to address the air traffic control situation. He blasted: “He has refused to meet over the last 12 months, so we tried to meet with him. We gave him the scenario, he would say: ‘I will revert’.

“We don’t represent politics; we represent workers and those who support workers. We’re not going to go along and allow the deputy prime minister to believe that he’s operating all by himself. He must meet respectfully with the trade unions that affected him, in particular. I for one do not like to threaten anybody. What we will do? We will do.

“We put him to be deputy prime minister, and he doesn’t recognise what we doing. What the potential will be? I wouldn’t make an announcement that Monday morning we can do certain things, because by nature, I don’t function like that. My colleagues do. They would know. And they will be a part of that process as to what precisely we will do. What I can say to you, though, we will not allow this to continue,” Mr Ferguson added.

“Everything has been going well, up to this point. All the outstanding unions are in negotiations, even if they have not completed the industrial agreement, they are in negotiation.”

Mr Ferguson also alleged that Mr Cooper has refused to meet with union representatives to renegotiate industrial agreements involving Grand Lucayan workers, while also discontinuing the union dues paid by those workers. He said: “So, the workers in Grand Bahama under Lucayan. We had an industrial agreement there and it expired. He discontinued the dues that is paid to the union in Freeport.

“The workers called me and said: Mr Ferguson, what is going on?’ I said: ‘Well, you know, just get ready. We got to do something.’ You don’t want to sign the new agreement, the one was there, it expired. You don’t want to sign that. He then obviously gave instructions to whoever not to pay the union dues, which is the dues by law signed-off by the parties.”

However, Tribune Business was yesterday given a different version of events surrounding the Grand Lucayan workers from that detailed by Mr Ferguson. Previously unionised staff were terminated during the COVID-19 pandemic and, when the resort subsequently re-opened, non-union staff were hired.

Kyle Wilson, the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union’s president, said: “Outside of the current prime minister, you have to give him his props, but he’s only one person. The chain is only as strong as its weakest link. I don’t care how strong Brave is. I don’t care what he does for this country. One person could destroy all of his work.

“The deputy prime minister must be careful not to tear down the work that the current administration is doing so far, and not to damage the fabric of labour. Because once you lose that, people aren’t going to forget and they won’t trust you any more.”