The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Please allow me to voice my observations regarding the current labour laws of The Bahamas.

In a recent, development in our country, many foreign companies have basically packed up and left, leaving Bahamians with little to nothing to hold on to. American Eagle, Scotia Bank and Pepsi to name a few, have all taken advantage of our Bahamian people simply because our laws allow them to get away with it.

However, in a way you cannot blame these companies. We must blame ourselves. Why? Let’s start from the beginning. Who makes the laws of the country? The government. How does one become a part of the government? They are voted into power. Why are they voted into power?

They make promises of a better life (by any means necessary - even though they don’t tell you that part). So a person desires power and money, therefore they run for political office. They promise jobs and prosperity. In order for them to fulfil this promise they must convince companies to invest in the country.

The company, therefore, wants to see how they can best benefit from the resources and see how they can best utilise the human resources of the country.  

This is where the labour laws come into effect. The Bahamas has some of the most brilliant and intelligent people you will find in the Caribbean.

However, our laws are weak and futile, simply because our political leaders (those who make the laws) are weak and futile. Make no mistake, these politicians make laws to protect themselves against lawsuits that might be brought against them, because many of them are business people.

I think it’s time Bahamians stop voting for person that cannot relate to them. Someone who is a lawyer, a doctor and simply a career politician doesn’t know how to relate to a single mother who was just laid off or a responsible father who doesn’t know where the next dollar is coming from to pay the bills. I think it’s time we start voting for teachers, secretaries, bank tellers, airline workers, hotel maids, straw vendors, construction workers, plumbers and the like. Those who know what it’s like to have their lights turned off for non-payment (because they simply can’t afford it).

So here is the progression: Weak self serving politicians equals weak labour laws (and abuse of power). Weak labour laws equals worker exploitation. Worker exploitation equal Bahamian frustration. Bahamian frustration equals the need to survive. The need to survive equal high crime rates. Simply put, if the government would simply tighten up the labour laws of the country which prevent employee exploitation, I am certain the crime rate would be lower.

Laws need to be put in place (especially where foreign companies are concerned) where depending on the size of the workforce a company must put money in trust for their workers in the event they want to pack up and leave (as is the case for Grand Cayman).

As Dr Myles Munroe indicated before he died, if Hon Perry Christie cannot effectively fulfil his duty in the office of the Prime Minister, he needs to step aside for the good of the country. We need men and women with vision, backbone and guts to run this country.

May God help us for the next two years as we tolerate this failure of a government that we all suffer under.

ANDY FERGUSON

Nassau,

March 30, 2015.