COALITION+LABOUR Tomorrow candidates will
nominate for the General Elections to be held on May
2nd. Coalition+Labour is
fielding a slate of candidates, which is comprised of a
talented and committed group of citizen patriots drawn from
the broadest cross-section of the Bahamian society. Ours is
an accomplished group, drawn from varied and diverse
backgrounds, who have already achieved great success in
their chosen careers. The ideal Government
should consist, not only of professionals but should also
include persons with business experience, and with proven
managerial ability. Historically, governments
in the Bahamas have had an overabundance of lawyers. This
narrow focus may well have contributed to failures in the
pragmatic management of the affairs of the country. While we
have no objections to lawyers in Government, (indeed our
slate comprises a few lawyers as well), in selecting our
candidates, we have been able to achieve the appropriate
balance of the various professions and vocations. With Coalition+Labour you
will find the correct blend of youth and experience,
self-made owners of small and medium sized businesses,
aspiring entrepreneurs, professionals, trained tradesmen,
information technologists, manufacturers, technologists,
educators, taxi and bus drivers, trade unionists, croupiers,
hospitality workers, bankers, and others. We have employers
and yes, some employees but in every case, each with the
will, the heart and the desire to serve their country and to
make a difference. We are committed to our
Vision of an Enlarged Bahamas in which the Family Islands,
through a series of initiatives such as "Institutionalized
Island Economies", "Island Rights", "Expanded Local
Governance" and "Land Reform", are repopulated by Bahamians,
who take advantage of these new opportunities to possess the
land and develop their economies. I wish to remind you that
we are an alliance of three political parties, the Coalition
for Democratic Reform (CDR), the Bahamian Freedom Alliance
(BFA); and the People's Labour Movement (PLM), which are
opposed to the existing political establishment and we have
committed ourselves to bringing about a change in government
and replacing the present government by one which is more
responsive to the needs of the citizens, which has a plan to
counteract the negative challenges facing our nation, and
which has the confidence of the Bahamian people. We are driven by a set of
core principles, which will direct our Bahamas towards the
long awaited path of prosperity and progress for all,
regardless of station in life. We have a team of capable,
experienced, dedicated and committed leaders. I am joined on
the leadership team by Mr. Obie Ferguson Leader of the
People's Labour Movement, and Mr. Halson Moultrie, Leader of
the Bahamian Freedom Alliance. Mr. Moultrie is a long
established advocate for the small man, for propriety in
government, and for the creation of an economy in which
Bahamians can participate, grow and prosper. Mr. Ferguson is
well known to you as the President of the Trade Union
Congress and the Bahamas Hotel Managerial Association. He
has a wealth of experience in labour relations and over the
years has shown himself to be a strong fighter for the
aggrieved and exploited worker but at the same time a
moderate and thoughtful negotiator and mediator who has been
willing to compromise to maintain harmony in the workplace.
Together we make up what I
think is the most dynamic leadership team in Bahamian
politics today and we have what it takes to provide the
direction, which the country needs at this time. One of the overriding
problems facing Bahamians at this time is the poor relations
between workers and employers, especially the government. In
recent times, we have had an unprecedented and continuous
spate of industrial disputes between the government and its
employees. This government, which has passed so many labour
laws, recently, has been condemned by both the Trade Unions
and the Employers organizations for the lack of clarity of
the laws and the failure to consult prior to final
passing. As a result many workers
claim that they are in fact less well off as a result of the
way the laws are being interpreted by employers, especially
as it relates to the reduction in the length from 48 to 44
hours. We are particularly
concerned at the demonstrations and threats emanating from
the public sector unions such as the B.U.T., the BUWASU, the
BHMA, the Bahamas Nurses Union, the Prison Overseers and
though silent, from the Officers of the Royal Bahamas
Defence Force, the forgotten heroes of the public
service. It is regrettable that the
government in general and the Hotel Corporation in
particular, which falls within the portfolio of the Leader
of the FNM, has failed to obey the ruling of the Industrial
Tribunal with respect to living up to the conditions of the
industrial agreement reached with the middle management
workers at the Radisson Hotel on Cable Beach. We are concerned, as we
have expressed before about the poor treatment that nurses
have received from the government and government's failure
to fulfill promises made to nurses with respect to salary
increases, payment of increments, payment of uniform and
risk allowances. Many are being denied earned promotions and
morale is at an all time low. The Public Hospitals
Authority has been an abject failure to date. It lacks the
leadership to meet the challenges. Its employees are
operating without any conditions of employment as General
Orders no longer apply to them and there has been no
employee policies put in place. Many of the medical and
nursing staff have not signed on to the PHA as yet and this
is clearly an unsatisfactory situation. We are concerned too about
the extremely low morale of the Officer sof the Royal
Bahamas Defence force who have been neglected and treated as
step children by the government. They too are concerned
about lack of promotions, failure to receive increments, the
poor state of the Defence Force fleet, the poor state of
vehicles, the lack of funding to keep them functioning at
the level necessary for them to carry out their mandate.
Is it true that the 55'
boat in Inagua to patrol the waters cannot do so because the
fuel supplier has cut them off for lack of payment by the
government of fuel bills? Is it true that the HMBS
Yellow Elder and HMBS Bahamas are not functional? In the
case of the former it broke down on the way back from dry
dock in Florida, and in the case of the latter parts cannot
be found because the company from which it was purchased has
gone out of business! Is it true that officers
have to scavenge among old vehicles at the Public Dump in
order to find parts to keep the Force's vehicles on the
road? This is a ticking time
bomb. Prison Overseers have no
history of taking industrial action but in the last several
weeks, they too have demonstrated against this government's
inability to live up to its promises. These matters are a clear
and present and dangerous threat to our national security.
When will they be
resolved? Who will stand up for
these sons and daughters of the Bahamas who are being
exploited beyond the tolerable? We call on the government
to deal with these issues as a matter of urgency.
It is indecent that the
governing party can be having firework displays on R.M.
Bailey Park while prison officers and Defence Force
personnel cannot be given the funds to do their
jobs! They must address these
issues. For our part, our approach
to industrial relations will be very different. We will seek
to foster a partnership with the business sector and
workers, a true partnership in which we all accept and
respect the roles of the other and unite in the overall
interests of the Bahamas. Specifically among the
initiatives we will implement are included: ·
Ensure The Bahamas complies with all International Labour
Organisation (ILO) Conventions, especially 87 and
98 ·
Establish minimum standards and conditions in the
workplace; ·
Introduce and enforce a minimum wage rate that is acceptable
to employers and employees; ·
Improve health and safety in the workplace; ·
Institute a fair and efficient procedure to arbitrate
industrial disputes; ·
Facilitate the development of work-based partnerships
between employers and employees based on mutual respect and
fairness; ·
Make every effort to ensure that these partnerships result
in the employees being educated and trained to understand
the dynamics of the employer's business and so appreciate
their role in that business, and that employees realize that
it is in their best interest for the business is
successful; ·
Seek to partnership with employer organizations and trade
unions in the creation of a Workers Training Trust that will
provide funds for the training and re-training of the
Bahamian workforce to make it more productive and
competitive; ·
Assist in the establishment of the Labour Institute in order
to develop a highly trained and competent cadre of labour
leaders; ·
Establish a system for labour negotiations that are
predictable and fair to both Labour and
Management; In the last week, as the
campaign has become more intense, we in Coalition+Labour are
concerned at the level of debate from both the FNM and the
PLP. In both cases the pot seems to be calling the kettle
black while the electorate are left to wonder about what to
expect from the next government of the Bahamas. We are now at a most
critical point in are nation's history. The 2002 elections,
the first general elections in this century, are a mere
three weeks away. The good people of the Commonwealth of The
Bahamas will have the opportunity to decide on who will lead
them for the next five years and with all the impending
challenges that face us, all indications are that this five
year period will undoubtedly have a tremendous impact on the
future of our country. The Bahamian people need visionary
leadership and leaders who are committed to providing
practical policies that would enable Bahamians to enjoy the
kind of quality of life that they deserve. What is regrettable is
that the Bahamian electorate is not being presented with
comprehensive plans as to what political parties will do if
they are elected. The FNM and PLP have seemingly agreed
among themselves to base their election campaign on
accusations, slander, mud slinging and name-calling. They
are spending tremendous efforts on trying to discredit
others, but are not giving the people food for thought,
ideas to ponder and solutions to consider. They are of the
view that this type of rhetoric coupled with song, dance,
food and fireworks is what people want. We in
Coalition+Labour see this as a disservice to the voting
public, especially light of the fact that many voters seem
to be undecided as to which party they will support in the
upcoming election. We in Coalition+Labour are
indeed committed to running an election campaign that
focuses on the issues that are of central importance to
Bahamas and the future of our land. We have persistently
articulated a clear, comprehensive and practical vision for
the 21st Century Bahamas. Our plan, which includes:
1. New
Checks and Balances 2.
Legislative Public Access 3.
Institutionalized Island Economies 4. New
globalisation of the economy 5.
Enhanced Local Government and the Exercise of Responsible
Citizenship 6.
Developing Bahamian Entrepreneurship and
Ownership Unfortunately, it appears
that money and influence are working to deny the public
fully hearing and understanding our message. The FNM and PLP
have led the way in this by not addressing the issues. Both
of those parties, being bankrupt of ideas, wish the public
not to know that the Coalition+Labour exists and that we
have a clear vision for the future development our the
entire Bahamas. Indeed, from time to time, we have to smile
with amusement at the odd time when the other parties do
attempt to address the issues. In many instances, we hear
them attempting to articulate some of the ideas that we have
offered to the public. Here again,
Coalition+Labour must re-echo its concerns over coverage
given to all political parties by the media. We have noticed
that events held by us are not always covered and even if
they are covered, generally the coverage pales in comparison
to that given to the PLP and the FNM. Nevertheless we will do
everything in our power to keep our message at the forefront
of the debate. The key is our message and
our plans and the instruments are our candidates whose job
it will be to carry them out. If you elect this fine
group of candidates, whose members are truly reflective of
the wider Bahamian society, you will have a government made
of persons who understand your needs, who will meet with you
and listen to you, and work along with you to solve your
problems and create a better Bahamas. We will be diligent
and responsive representatives and informed and proactive
legislators. Most importantly, we will be true servant
leaders. We invite the public to
come out on Friday night right here at our headquarters when
our message of Restoration, Revival and Renewal will be
delivered as we invite the public to Take Control of the
political process and the economic potential and Be their
Own Boss.
PRESS
CONFERENCE 6
Coalition + Labour Candidate Capabilities &
Programs
By
Dr. Bernard J. Nottage
CEO
The Coalition for Democratic Reform
LEADER
Coalition+Labour
Wednesday
April 10, 2002
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