The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

TRADE Union Congress president Obie Ferguson said an apology will not resolve a dispute over claims he met with government officials to approve Grand Lucayan severance payouts, saying legal action has already been launched.

He said the reports damaged his reputation and denied ever meeting with Labour Director Howard Thompson and chief labour negotiator Bernard Evans to discuss redundancy terms for 94 middle managers.

“All I have going for me is my reputation, my good name, and I can’t afford that,” he said.

In February, Director of Investments Phylicia Woods-Hanna publicly said Labour Director Howard Thompson and labour consultant Bernard Evans had met with Mr Ferguson “to advise of the correct settlements for union members.”

Mr Thompson later said he and Mr Evans had telephone discussions with Mr Ferguson about the matter but no face-to-face meeting and no final agreement was reached.

Mr Ferguson said Mrs Woods-Hanna is among the officials being sued for drafting and releasing the document shared with the press.

He believes the statements were not a misunderstanding but a deliberate attempt to undermine his credibility.

“They know what they did,” he said. “They know they never had no meeting with me. First time I saw it was when I turned my television on and I watched the news.”

Mr Ferguson also criticised the press, saying the statement was widely published without verification. While he did not say he would take action against the press, he warned the situation could expose media outlets to legal risk.

He said the reports triggered widespread reaction, adding that his phone “was off the hook” after the claims were broadcast. He said the situation caused confusion among workers, some of whom believed he had agreed to the severance terms.

Mr Ferguson also questioned the payouts, pointing to what he said workers are entitled to under the law.