2 September, 2014

Dear Sir,

It is now abundantly clear that the Labour Day exercises are now included in the rest of the satellite initiatives to discredit and remove any confidence in the democratically elected government.

Labour has this holiday to reflect, energise and charge their batteries in good service, and demand fair treatment from employers. Trade unions continue to be relevant, and necessary, in this new millennium, notwithstanding the gains hard fought for, and won. This most worthy acknowledgment of labour’s contribution is well deserved, and should always be about its aims and objectives!

When it is hijacked by one political view point, and used to hammer its political foes as they see it, the movement becomes seriously compromised! Members of a trade union do not support one political entity to “a man”. Why would anyone think that in the rank and file of any union that political positions are not strongly held with support for the PLP and the OBA, and they would not take exception to the party they believe in being vilified with great prejudice, and being so shamelessly denounced and dismissed. They are due paying members also, and subscribe as members for collective bargaining benefits only, to have others assume we are all on the same page is thoughtless and foolish.

Labour Day now is a pawn to be used as a noisy platform for the opposition to demand that the government be “taken away” from the OBA, who won in a general election almost two years ago. Now we are told we cannot wait for three years for a chance to regain government the old fashioned way.

Did not the PLP win three times with more than a decade in political power? Was there ever a call for their removal from office after two years in any of the three terms served, citing that three years was too long to wait for democracy to be served? The answer is an unequivocal no, and their support base would have been enraged and personally insulted.

This country is at its most precarious crossroads in our history considering our seismic national debt and deficit budgets in the hundreds of millions that some would appear to want to simply wish away. Furlough days are now being scoffed at, and any move put forward to rescue this ship that is taking on water is characterised as the government declaring war on working Bermudians. It is simply not true.

We heard a glib presentation by a clever and very intellectual former premier whose verbal volleys were wide of the mark on the OBA government who is hard at work to revive employment for Bermudians and are not the devil incarnate as so vociferously posited.

The real fear of the next three years is success in turning the fortunes of this country in the right direction. Can this be achieved? I believe they can although a second term will be crucial for sailing in tumultuous times. To give the former Premier’s suggestion that there will be nothing left is ridiculous, not worthy of a former leader of his talent.

The OBA clearly do not have all the answers, as no administration ever does, but they won fair and square with no malfeasance including “Jetgate” which their detractors so glee fully tethered their hopes to for the Government’s demise.

Now is the time for good governance with tough decisions to be made for our survival, I believe we have that now! Now then, let’s heed the injunction to take back Labour Day from the PLP and return it to the workers who are intensely political or can’t stand politics at all and want the workers mandate to be paramount.

Workers unite for labour and not be used as pawns in the PLP/OBA chess game.

Wayne B Scott JP