By SANCHESKA DORSETT
Tribune Staff Reporter
sdorsett@tribunemedia.net
NATIONAL Congress of Trade Unions Bahamas (NCTUB) Vice-President Paul Maynard on Friday urged “We March” organisers to "stay out of union business" and "stick to walking on Bay Street".
In an interview with the Tribune, Mr Maynard said the NCTUB does not need help from "them people" to shut the country down.
In fact, Mr Maynard said lead organiser Ranard Henfield should "focus on law" and leave the business of the people to "qualified individuals".
Last week, a handful of protesters, including Trade Union Congress President Obie Ferguson and We March Bahamas organisers, assembled in Rawson Square with placards a day after they called on workers across the country to have a national “sit down”.
Organisers said that multiple forms of industrial action tactics are expected to take place over the next few days until Prime Minister Perry Christie meets with the umbrella union to iron out long standing issues.
Mr Maynard said it is ludicrous that a union would join up with We March, when the group has no authority to call a strike or take any industrial action.
"The NCTUB doesn't have time for that foolishness,” he said. “If we wanted to shut the country down we can, and we certainly would not need them for that. That sit-in failed because there is a process you have to go through in the labour movement. You cannot pick and ask people to leave their jobs," Mr Maynard said.
"You have something called the essential services act and you can not just pick up willy nilly and say, 'oh we want to strike'. Why was Obie even messing with them? He doesn't control a big union. NCTUB has the bulk of the union, we are the official voice of labour in this country and I have to protect my workers.”
Mr Maynard said: "I have to be responsible, so I have no clue why Obie would join with them. I don't need no other group to tell me how to work for my people. If I had a problem with the government, then we would strike but we have no issues so we aren't messing with that.
"The unions supposed to tell them what to do not the other way around," he continued.
"Who is this clown? He isn't a union leader. He needs to stick to marching and leave union business to unions."
Activist group We March Bahamas and the governement have been at odds since We March staged a massive protest on November 25, last year, where more than a thousand people marched from Arawak Cay to downtown Nassau. A large group of protesters also occupied Rawson Square as part of the demonstration.
The group also staged a march on Majority Rule Day, January 10, which conflicted with the PLP's march to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the day.
Comments
Emac 7 years, 3 months ago
Can someone say 'arrogant'. What these unions fail to understand is that Bahamians are in no mood for union BS or any other mass demonstration that would inconvenience them. What this jackass cannot comprehend is that Bahamians are still frustrated from the lack of planning and recovery efforts by BPL from the devastation left hurricane Mathew. So don't think for one second that people give a dam about these greedy workers who have been living of the fat of the land for far too long. Face it, unions are quickly becoming irrelevant. Check out the banks and even BTC. These businesses are simply outsourcing jobs to Indians and other nationalities from around the Caribbean. But Maynard is from the old school. He will not get the picture until he and his wayward followers are all standing on the outside jobless, looking in and wondering what went wrong!
xtreme2x 7 years, 3 months ago
If I had a problem with the government, then we would strike but we have no issues so we aren't messing with that.
So since Miller been replaced by BPL, All the union grievances/problems are solved.
banker 7 years, 3 months ago
Thank God that they added Bahamas to their name. I always did a double take when I saw the union referred to by just the acronym.
All of this comes about because unionist Obie is jealous of all of the attention and traction that Ranard Henfield is getting.
Thumbelina242 7 years, 3 months ago
A PLP cronie really wouldn't have any issues with this government. Well said Maynard....we see your colors!
sheeprunner12 7 years, 3 months ago
The union leaders have sold out the workers ........... and look at what Shameless Shane and the crooked teeth Director of Labour have done since 2012 ..... Bahaman workers are in despair from the employers, unionists and the government today ........ they will take revenge at the polls in short order
Alex_Charles 7 years, 3 months ago
Unions are the worst things to happen to this country in the last 10 years. From the BUT to the TUC they are ineffective and counter productive. What people need is for more industrial agreements without bullshit unreasonable demands. Water and sludge's union is just as retarded as the one that got involved with Sandals and the one that failed so hard at Ocean Club. Union execs and lawyers cash out every month on the backs of their members, whose jobs and interests should be #1.
Just like Wilson and the previous execs in the BUT, buncha tief'n crooks
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