The Tribune

THE FNM has criticised the government for failing to keep its promises to Bahamian workers after nurses across the public health system failed to show up for work yesterday.

Although the Bahamas Nurses Union has yet to issue an official statement explaining the action, the opposition party said it was a clear act of protest in view of the fact that salary increases pledged during the election campaign never materialised.

Angry members of the public called the media complaining of long waits at hospitals and clinics, with some claiming that as many as 80 per cent of nurses stayed home.

A statement from FNM leader Dr Hubert Minnis said: “The Prime Minister and Minister of Finance has once again failed to deliver on a promise made to a set of Bahamian workers. In addition to this sad fact, the Bahamian people have yet another example of incompetence in his government where the right hand does not know what the left hand is doing.

“Once again, it is clear that the country is being mismanaged by a Prime Minister who is too out of touch and disinterested in the details of governance.

“In this instance, the government has failed to deliver on its promise of salary increases for public service nurses. The nurses have been forced to take strong actions to push their case.

“In resolving this current dispute between the Minister of Health, Dr Perry Gomez and his government and the rank and file members of the Nurses Union, the President of that Union and Member of Parliament for South Beach, Cleola Hamilton, was substantially missing in action and derelict in her duties.

“When she finally surfaced, she was extremely meek, humble and passive. Her silent-as-a-church-mouse behaviour is a complete opposite of the vocal, adversarial and irrational behaviour she demonstrated when the FNM was in office. Then, she was clearly singing for her PLP supper. We wonder now whether the Nurses Union was only being used to propel her political career. Now that she does not need them, they are on their own.”

Dr Minnis said this kind of “non-performance” is precisely what the Free National Movement expected from Ms Hamilton.

Since the date of her appointment as a Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the FNM has expressed the view that Ms Hamilton had exposed herself to claims of conflict of interest.

In addition to serving as a part of the Christie government, the party noted, she continues to serve as president of the Nurses Union and refuses to resign from one of those positions.

“This is a clear demonstration of her determination to put personal political ambitions . . . above the best interests of her union members.

“The Union’s vice president has stepped up to serve her members. Their president must now step down,” the statement said.

The FNM also claimed that her constituents in South Beach will now have no choice but to wonder if Ms Hamilton will put her political ambitions above her responsibilities as an MP.

“Her personal ambitions are getting the better of her and the Prime Minister’s inability to make a hard decision leaves him impotent,” the FNM claimed.