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NCTU BACKS BAHA MAR BASED ON ASSURANCES

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Published On:Thursday, September 02, 2010

By TANEKA THOMPSON

Tribune Staff Reporter

tthompson@tribunemedia.net

THE National Congress of Trade Unions of the Bahamas yesterday voiced its support for the $2.6 billion Baha Mar project, providing the developers adhere to a number of conditions.

Flanked by union executives at a press conference yesterday, President John Pinder yesterday endorsed the project based on assurances from stakeholders that Bahamian staff will be maximised through all stages of the development; that Bahamians will be trained so that there is a transfer of knowledge so qualified locals can one day fill the posts held by expatriates.

The NCTUB also wants to partner with the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute - which will be training and certifying labourers for the project - through its own Labour College to provide classes for skilled labourers who may not meet BTVI's academic requirements. The union's support is also given on the condition that the rights of Chinese workers are respected in line with international standards.

Mr Pinder believes the union's support will help Parliamentarians pass next week's labour resolution on the number of foreign labourers required for the project.

The NCTUB is now satisfied that the luxury project is in the "best interest of the country" and anticipates a sharp decline in unemployment levels once construction begins.

The union had been critical in recent months of Baha Mar's call for some 5,000 Chinese workers to help construct the luxury project. Mr Pinder said the change of heart came out of intensive discussions with property officials, industry stakeholders and the union's regional partners.

Along with voicing its support, the union also outlined a number of suggestions to government to ensure that the country receives the maximum benefits from the deal.

These suggestions include allocating the estimated $5 million from Chinese work permit fees for the expansion and upgrading of trade school BTVI; launch a training and apprenticeship programme for high school students to equip a younger crop of Bahamians with top level construction and masonry skills; establish a national redundancy fund requiring Baha Mar and future international investors to contribute funds to protect workers in the event the developers leave the country without making good on their pledges.

The union also wants to be included in future high-level discussions on Baha Mar and wants a commitment from government that workers' representatives will be included in Heads of Agreement talks with international investors.

Reader Comments - 4 Total

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Posted By: Tired of the bull$%!& On: 9/3/2010

Title: Let's prove to the world how ignorant we really are!

Thank you William!
People don't seem to realize that all this talk about work permits is utterly foolish. The affect this will bring to the economy both during and after construction is something no one has ever seen! The benefits will be almost incalculable to this country..a truly once in a lifetime opportunity!
The 5000 Chinese workers coming here will be perfoming jobs that no Bahamian will want to do. There will be more jobs available to Bahamians than we can possibly fill, even with the foreign workers here, the simple fact is there are not enough qualified Bahamians to fill all the construction positions and even if there were, the productivity achieved by Bahamians would take 10 years to build BahaMar. Sad but very true! I work for a very reputable and successful Bahamian owned construction company and you would think that finding people in this economy who truly want to work for a full 8 hour day, 5 days a week, not 2 or 3, and not steal or show up drunk and actually perform quality work would be easy... you would think its easy...but in reality its incredibly difficult, and we expect to provide how many capable workers for BahaMar? Get real!
So lets take our heads out of the sand and get this project started..anyone, FNM or PLP who opposes this project regardless of the terms should leave this country and never come back. This country needs BahaMar and anyone with any sense should realize that you don't just hand out $2.6 BILLION with a capital B and not have terms attached. Those terms are utilizing Chinese labor and that is completely understandable. So yes, lets vote on if this country should shoot itself in the head or move forward and accept the offer on the table that so many other countries would not hesitate to approve! It's time we grow up and stop being ignorant fools.

Posted By: smiles On: 9/3/2010

Title: FYP

nuff said

Posted By: WILLIAM On: 9/2/2010

Title: THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK!!!

JOHN PINDER AND HIS CREW SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THEMSELVES. THEY LOOK SO FOOLISH, HAVING TO COME BACK A FEW WEEKS AFTER OPPOSING THE BAHA MAR DEVELOPMENT AND THE USE OF THE CHINESE WORKERS. RIGHT OFF THE TOP THEY JUST OPENED THEIR DUMB BIG MOUTHS AND SPEWED OUT A BUNCH OF SENSELESS HOT AIR. IF THEY WERE INTELLIGENT ENOUGH, THEY WOULD HAVE EVALUATE ALL THE PROS AND CONS, AND WOULD HAVE MADE A DECISION BASED ON HOW THIS WOULD BENEFIT THE OVERALL NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF THE BAHAMAS AND ITS PEOPLE.
NOW HERE THEY ARE TRYING TO LOOK SO INTELLIGENT, YET LOOK SO FOOLISH!! GO AWAY MAN! GET LOST!! THIS DEVELOPMENT SHOULD BE A NO-BRAINER. FORGET THE NONSENSE OF FOREIGNER VERSUS BAHAMIAN. WE HAVE NO MONEY TO DEVELOP OUR COUNTRY. DON'T YOU SEE!!! IT'S $2.6 BILLION MAN. WHO THE HELL WOULD WALK AWAY FROM THAT KIND OF MONEY? ONLY A DAMN FOOL!!

Posted By: vg On: 9/2/2010

Title:

All these people who trying to set so much demands ,what are you doing to create jobs other than running your big mouth?

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