Prime Minister Philip Davis has strongly condemned a planned industrial action by the Trade Union Congress (TUC), calling it "unlawful" and accusing TUC President Obie Ferguson of acting in bad faith.
The strike, which was announced earlier today, was in response to outstanding labor concerns, but Davis believes the move is a direct violation of the law and an unnecessary escalation given the circumstances.
In a statement released Sunday evening, Davis expressed surprise over the TUC’s decision to proceed with the threat of industrial action, despite a meeting already scheduled for Monday at 2 p.m.
According to the Prime Minister, Ferguson's decision to call for a strike before the scheduled meeting is not only premature but reflects a disregard for good faith negotiations.
“I cannot let this evening go by without addressing a threatened unlawful industrial action announced by the Leader of the Bahamas Trade Union Congress, Obie Ferguson," Davis stated. "He is an attorney and should well know about good faith and lawful conduct. The publicly proposed action is therefore surprising. It seems to me that in the face of this threat to break the law, the government must act."
The Prime Minister said his administration has made multiple efforts to engage in dialogue with union leadership. He pointed to a recent pattern where attempts to reach Ferguson by phone were met with no response. Instead, Ferguson had published a voice note accusing the government of failing to resolve issues.
“It is curious to me that after days of trying to reach Mr. Ferguson by phone, and his apparent refusal to answer his phone, he now publishes a voice note saying with the untruth that my government has not sought to resolve problems," Davis remarked.
Davis clarified that a meeting with Ferguson had already been scheduled for the following Monday afternoon, but expressed skepticism over the TUC’s intent. "He had agreed to a meeting tomorrow at 2 p.m. So is it not in bad faith to agree to meet then tell his members to go on strike?"
The Prime Minister further stressed that his government remains committed to resolving the issues at hand through discussion, not confrontation. "I am not standing on ceremony though. I am a Prime Minister that wants to resolve problems. But my concern is for the wellbeing of the nation," he said.
"The question one must ask is why would the head of the TUC want to inflict harm on the nation when the problems can be solved by discussions and not an unlawful strike."
Davis reiterated that both he and his Minister for Labour and the Public Service, Pia Glover-Rolle, have been in constant communication with union leaders and are fully committed to engaging in meaningful discussions.
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