The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

FNM Chairman Michael Pintard said yesterday that the controversy surrounding the Bahamas Telecommunications Company’s expected downsizing exercises exposes the “inconsistent and conflicting statements” that the Christie administration is making on national matters.

Responding to Labour Minister Shane Gibson’s claim last week that the government cannot intervene to save the jobs of 150 workers, Mr Pintard said Bahamians are tired of the current government’s excuses.

“The minister … (claimed) that BTC was empowered to proceed with the upcoming layoffs due to the agreement signed by the FNM when last in government,” he said. “We wish to remind Minister Gibson that his party is now in the chair and the public is tired of excuses for their failure to act on behalf of suffering and anxiety-stricken Bahamians.

“The PLP must realise that they are now in charge and must therefore lead. Furthermore, there are inconsistencies and outright untruths in the PLP’s claims.

“Firstly, the government is a major shareholder in BTC and is in a position to assist workers. If we are to believe that Mr Christie had the ability to save some 300 jobs at Atlantis, a private company, then surely the government has the ability to assist workers at a largely owned government entity.”

Mr Pintard also called on Mr Gibson to back up with evidence his claim that the agreement the former Ingraham Administration signed with Cable and Wireless several years ago gave BTC the ability to lay off workers after a particular date.

“Even if it were true that the agreement provided a pretext for such layoffs the PLP has seldom been bonded by agreements they met in place,” he added. “In fact, they sought to change the very agreement in order to get an additional two per cent to achieve majority ownership. Furthermore, they varied the timeline in the agreement for the liberalisation of the cellular market. The PLP engages when it wishes and washes its hands when it wishes.”

Mr Pintard said it is a false belief that the government cannot use its influence to affect employment numbers.

“The government should be encouraging BTC to re-deploy staff in the new areas being developed such as introduction of television; growing and managing the foundation, and so on,” he said. “In addition, BTC should be encouraged to outsource non core auxiliary services to disengaged staff in order to reduce its overhead while encouraging entrepreneurship. Fighting for the rights and overall welfare of workers must be in and out of political season and the fight must go beyond rhetoric.”