The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune News Editor

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

LABOUR Director Howard Thompson said his department has received increasing complaints from employees about poor treatment from senior foreign workers.

He said some of the complaints have been about sexual harassment and racist comments.

He told The Tribune yesterday: “Let me hasten to be clear on something, there are many number of foreigners working in The Bahamas, many of whom are good, decent, law and policy abiding workers, and they truly do add value to The Bahamas directly and indirectly, whom I’m reliably informed are a joy to work with and learn from.”

“But, unfortunately, there are a growing number of foreign worker ‘bad apples’ so to speak who slipped through the cracks, who seem to think The Bahamas is a place where you can mistreat, talk down to and exploit Bahamians, and as Director of Labour, I am shocked and sick and tired of these sort of complaints which seems to be growing and so the Department of Labour will be marshalling resources and staff to properly and thoroughly inspect and investigate any and all complaints of this nature and compile the necessary reports with our recommendations and share same with the Department of Immigration and allow the chips to fall where they may as it relates to these few foreign worker ‘bad apples’ and the businesses and companies that continue to hire them notwithstanding internal complaints to the owners of those businesses and companies.”

Mr Thompson said he could not confirm nor deny whether he recently met with Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis to discuss the issue.

However, he said: “The Department of Labour and the Department of Immigration are on high alert and will not tolerate such reprehensible behaviour and indifferent attitude from foreign workers in The Bahamas nor from the businesses or companies that employ them.”