PLP attempting to bribe unions, FNM chairman says

While accusing the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) of attempting to bribe union leaders for support ahead of the election, Free National Movement (FNM) Chairman Carl Culmer yesterday warned voters “not to be fooled by the PLP and their tactics” after the PLP signed a memorandum of understanding with two umbrella trade unions pledging to address key labor issues if elected to government.

“We don’t have to sign things,” Culmer said. 

“We live up to our commitments. We, as a party, will not make a mockery of such an event. You know, during political season, we will not try and bribe and that’s what I call what the PLP is trying to do with union leaders – bribe them for support. That’s something that should be looked into.”

When reached for a response, PLP Chairman Fred Mitchell said, “It would be irresponsible of me to say the words I want to say in response to that fellow. It’s asinine to say the least. Perhaps you can ask him what the hiring of, promotions of and the lump sum payments are that the FNM is doling out to the public service.”

The PLP signed the MOU with the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and National Congress of Trade Unions Bahamas (NCTUB) on Wednesday. 

During a signing ceremony for the MOU, PLP Leader Philip Brave Davis said the document was “precatory” and signaled the unification of labor in The Bahamas.

“I say precatory understanding because the committee of the Progressive Liberal Party, headed by our chairperson and in consultation with myself … have looked at the workers’ agenda having found favor with the spirit and intent of those provisions and we are prepared to demonstrate our embrace of the spirit and intent by putting and appending our signature to this precatory document,” he said.

But several affiliates of the NCTUB – including the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU), the Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU), the Bahamas Union of Teachers (BUT) and others – released a statement yesterday saying the NCTUB had no authority to sign the document on their behalf and that they had not seen it.

Culmer said it is unbelievable to see how “low” the PLP will go to win an election.

“So I’m saying to union members who are part of those unions: do not be fooled by the PLP and their tactics because at the end of the day, there is nothing that they would do for you,” he said.

“As the union leaders and members are aware of, they catch more hell under the PLP, and there are so many issues that were left on the table that had to be squared away when this administration came to power.”

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source https://thenassauguardian.com/plp-attempting-to-bribe-unions-fnm-chairman-says/