The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

IN light of Sandals’ decision to temporarily close the Sandals Royal Bahamian Resort  to facilitate urgent repairs and renovations and in the process make over 600 workers redundant, many Bahamians have launched an attack on the Government and in particular Prime Minister, the Most Honourable Perry Christie.

How Prime Minister Christie has come to be at fault is beyond me as the last time I checked Sandals was a private entity and not a public sector organisation.

While the loss of jobs, though temporary, is a matter for concern, what do we really gain by blaming the Government and in particular our Prime Minister? What exactly was Prime Minister Christie to do? And how exactly is he at fault?

Is it that we were expecting the Prime Minister to mirror the actions of union executives and act like a thug? Was he to angrily chase Sandals out of the country?

Regardless of how emotionally charged we might all be, the Prime Minister’s actions must be measured. He must act consciously, diplomatically and most of all intelligently, and he has done just that.

In his official capacity as the leader of our country, the Prime Minister cannot participate in careless and frivolous chatter. His job is to meet with all parties involved and attempt to arrive at terms and conditions that benefit all.

This is not the Wild West – our Prime Minister will not and should not be squaring off against any of the Stewarts at high noon.

Good sense must prevail.

It is Prime Minister Christie’s job to protect the best interests of all Bahamians but it is also his duty to treat foreign investors fairly.

Whether we like Sandals or not, they provide jobs for families, make it possible for children to go to school, boost the country’s tourism product in both Nassau and the Exumas and provide jobs for locals in other industries such as construction, manufacturing and excursions.

While it would thrill many Bahamians to see Prime Minister Christie hold the door open for Sandals’ swift and dramatic exit, what exactly will that achieve? Who will provide jobs for the over 600 persons who would be left jobless? Or is it that we no longer need jobs in this country?

Are we so full of foolish and arrogant pride that we would rather suffer than amicably negotiate with investors?

Sandals has resorts throughout most of the Caribbean with regional governments knocking down their doors asking them to invest. Why are we chasing away a brand that has done so much for the region and country?

The Prime Minister’s main concern, as it should be, is the welfare of the team members who have been made redundant and Sandals had made it clear that all team members will be eligible for rehire.

It is not the Prime Minister’s duty to ensure anyone keeps their job – that is solely up to each individual employee and his or her performance.

The Prime Minister cannot afford to be caught up in the short term fray. He must plan for the long term economic well-being of our country and act accordingly.

While we delight in sounding off on public forums and social media pages, we need to remember that there are Bahamians who depend on Sandals for their livelihoods.

For more than 600 Bahamians, this issue goes deeper than a viral post or a sound bite during the evening news.

I am sure Prime Minister Christie is well aware of this and that this fact has influenced his approach and response to the issue at hand.

While he certainly will not stand to see Bahamians being mistreated or taken for granted he also has a diplomatic duty, which he has fulfilled, to address disagreements in a fair and tactful manner.

TASHA ROLLE

Nassau,

August 18, 2016.