Edward Hutcheson
1957: Nassau International Airport opens. One hundred protesting taxi drivers block access to the new airport for 24 hours.
1958: In support of 1957’s protests, a 16-day General Strike brings Nassau to a screeching halt. Unionized or not, just about every worker participated, and the strike was quite peaceful. The result was the Trade Union and Industrial Conciliation Act and the setting up of a Labour Department.
The two points above remind us of what an illegal strike looks like, when workers do not have a legal framework to refer to. The Minister of Labour has called the current Airport “Strike” illegal, but I think he needs to find stronger language. The Leader of the DNA has criticised the government for not respecting some of the highly trained professionals in the Customs Department and Immigration because Defence Force Officers are being used to keep the business of the Nation functioning.
I did not know how serious the situation had become, until I read a story in CBS and FOX news about the Airport strike in Nassau. A local Union official is quoted, and these news sources state that the Airport strike will continue until May 7th.
I was taken back by the Prime Minister when he said that he would remember those persons involved; I understand what he means now. The story came out on April 14 and can be Googled, which will show that some of the Travel Guide sites have picked up the story also. If the Union wanted to make a point, I think they have really made their point; it is at the Public’s expense and only time will tell how we take the point they have made.
What can drive Bahamians to do something like this? Does entitlement mean so much that some of us are prepared to sacrifice a vital part of an economy that is just coming out of recession?
Maybe this is why the leader of the Opposition says that we are losing ground in Tourism in the Caribbean, but the jury is out as to who is involved in this particular escapade.
I did not see anything on CNN, BBC or Reuters and I hope that CBS and FOX are the only services that have the story. News of an Airport strike that goes to May 7th is not good news for this country and I do not care what side of the political divide you are on.
The Union and its leadership will not have to answer to the government on this “decision”, they are going to have to answer to the Bahamian public. It would have been a better strategy to use stalling tactics until May 7th, under the guise of negotiating, but this event has taken a turn that many of us will not recover from.
It has been a usual practice for political parties to recruit labour leaders who show promise, it is not likely that this will be happening in this instance.
April 17, 2012
At least they have gone back to work according to press reports this morning.
So, Rick, are you saying that the international exposure of industrial action, which occurs in all democratic societies and is guaranteed by law, is almost always inconvenient for some, is often contested by members of the public, is always opposed by employers, but which has also improved working conditions across the board and is one of the main tools that workers have to counter oppressive, unhealthy or abusive workplaces, validates a promise of what amounts to victimization? Our labour laws guarantee the right to strike. The strike was legal. I do not know the issues, and may not even agree with them, but does international embarrassment of the government for which you may have some support validate a practice that you decry when it is applied by governments you don’t?
I have watched this issue with wonder and some interest. The issues are unclear to me. I am more than familiar with the civil service, and know the conditions under which most civil servants work; if customs and immigration are anything like the rest of the service, industrial action may well be warranted. Or it may not. What is not warranted to my mind is a promise from the Prime Minister to remember the strikers, no matter what the provocation. It is anti-democratic. There are legal measures to be taken in situations where the labour law has been transgressed; going beyond that, making a personal promise to “remember”, goes beyond the pale.
I shall remember that promise.
Thanks Nico, but the post is by Edward Hutcheson as it says at the top, a guest blogger, not me.
It is agreed that the personal promise to remember is not appropriate normally, but what the circumstances that caused it? I don’t know. You?
One of the reasons for the strike is overtime for shift work. IS that appropriate? I can’t find anywhere in the world where that happens yet.
If you are hired to work 8 hours and that is from 12pm to 8am that is the terms agreed. Why should one be paid overtime rates for that?
Nicolette said The issues are unclear to me………….yet the PM’s comment is anti-democratic and problem for her ? Rick you have to pardon me, perhaps I’m having a seniors moment here. Rick I remember very well the 1957 and 1958 protest, darn near killed tourism.
Thanks Ken.
There is an attempt to paint the PM as a Dictator that stems from his aggressive manner at times. I have no evidence that he is vindictive. Oh, he has told me about my back side in no uncertain terms when I disagreed on public policy, but that’s okay. I’m a big boy as he is.
They might have other legitimate complaints beside the unreasonable one I outlined, but they can always leave and go to work where terms and conditions are better.
That’s what is great about freedom.
Upsetting the airport, inconveniencing thousands of tourists and Bahamians alike, intentionally I might add, is not cricket.
In this case, I sure hope he does remember & fire the lot of them.I blame the government whatever one it was for allowing essential services to form a union.You can’t have a union for essential services,that is all wrong period in my view.