Waging a losing battle

January 19, 2006

Dear Sir,

I was just wondering why Bermuda does not have a "minimum wage" law on the books.

I am an employee of a major airline at the Bermuda International Airport. I feel most people are unaware of the extremely low wages we are paid. Most airline employees here in Bermuda have a starting pay of approximately $10 dollars an hour. After seven years with the company, you can be up to a whopping $13.70 per hour! The Marketplace has a starting salary of $15.70 per hour and after working three months, one can get a salary increase of up to $16.24.

Here at the Airport, airline staff work long hours, have extensive training, and (as I'm sure you're well aware) have to deal with unpleasant and stressful situations from time to time. Recently I heard that Government workers successfully lobbied to get a 35 hour work week. I work 45 hours with a mandatory unpaid lunch break just to get paid for 40 hours. (And at $10 dollars an hour, that only adds up to $400 per week!) I hope some people's jaws are dropping! Taking home $1,500 per month is really difficult. (Many months it's less than that.)

Many airline employees have second jobs. I have children and am unable to work a second job. And after spending 45-50 hours a week at the Airport, one would think I would be taking home a decent pay cheque and would be able to spend the remainder of my free time with my children.

But, it's virtually impossible. Bermuda has gotten way too expensive.

I have to pay rent and am barely making ends meet. By the time I have paid for rent, gas, groceries and phone bill, I am left practically penniless, desperately waiting for the next pay day to arrive.

Most airline employees here are unionised.

Unfortunately, when it comes to contract negotiations, the airlines won't budge on the pay issue because of the dire financial situations they are in. These overseas airlines threaten us by saying they could take away our jobs and turn our station over to contract workers.

However, if Bermuda Government could mandate some kind of minimum wage of perhaps $15 dollars per hour, these airlines would be required to match that, contract workers or not. People that are aware of our low salaries often say, "Well, don't you fly for free whenever you want?"

Well, we do pay a minimal fee to fly and we travel standby, but I can't even afford to use my travel benefits because I can't afford one night in a hotel! So what good is the travel perk to me if I can't use it?

I do not feel we are asking for much ... we would basically like to match the salaries of those at Marketplace. Is that asking too much?

I love my job. I love my passengers. I love the feeling I get when I've made somebody's day a little bit brighter, or I was able to sort out some crazy situation for them. Those feelings are truly priceless. And, I do feel fortunate and blessed for that because I know not everyone can say that about their job. However, due to the low wages, I don't know how much longer I can remain at this job in Bermuda. Bermuda is dependent on the airlines ... can we depend on Bermuda?

AIRLINE EMPLOYEE

St. George's

Modern day slaves

January 20, 2006

Dear Sir,

As a former soldier in the Bermuda Regiment I write in support of the organisation BAD. During my six months in the Bermuda Regiment I had one of the worst spans of my life.

To be forced to do things against my will, yelled at without warrant like an animal and bribed for good deeds by liquor made me feel like a modern day slave.

I believe no man or woman should be forced to do something against their will if they have not committed any illegal act or crimes against the laws of a nation.

Maybe the army could be beneficial for some young men and can change some lives for the better, but that still doesn't make it right for young men to be deprived of there freedom and rights and forced to do things against their will.

The thing that saddens me about this whole thing is that I never see Government members commenting about conscription. It's almost like it's a touchy subject in the House that they all try to avoid. I would really like to know how they really feel about conscription.

Conscription supporters:It is discipline for our young Bermudian men.

My response: Discipline isn't about yelling derogatory things to people and promising them alcoholic beverages if they do something good. Also since when do you wait so long to discipline a person?

You can't train a dog, but you can train a puppy, so why say that you're trying to discipline 18-35 year old men. It's ludicrous.

Conscription supporters: People should give back to their country.

My response: I agree people should give back to their country. However, there are so many ways to do this. There are various other ways that a person can give back to their country. Various organisations are always looking for a few good men. Why not give them the option to choose organisations to give their time to.

Conscription supporters: We need an army for natural disasters and for internal security.

My response: Bermuda is a colony of Britain as is the Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands. So why is Bermuda the only one of the three that even has a Regiment? Our economies are very similar and we're all protected by the UK, so what's Bermuda's excuse? Most Bermudians aren't even aware of the fact that these countries are as rich as us, they are British colonies like us, but they don't conscript and treat young men like animals like us.

In closing I say this to the people of Bermuda.

Don't let Eddie Lambe and Larry Burchall do what President Bush did to his country and mislead you into thinking positive things about negative situations. Sure from the outside the Regiment looks like what they say it is. But my people it is time we take a stand against this modern day slave movement that exist in Bermuda. As a people we need to come together and eliminate this latest form of slavery by educating ourselves about the seriousness of such situations.

JAMEL HARDTMAN

Newest Member of BAD

Credit to our community

January 12, 2006

Dear Sir,

Seeing that the spreading of good news is essential amid the circulation of bad news, it is appropriate to reveal the lovely occasion of November 26, 2005 and the awarding of plaques. These were given to those people and small businesses who were thought to have been a credit to the community of constituency number 27 in Warwick by the PLP committee there. The quest speaker was Major Alfred Wilson S.A. whom we have been proud of all his life.

The honours went to Dr. D. Matthews ? Paynter's Beauty Parlour, Ross Tuzo ? Wooden Window and Door frame shop, Hunts Enterprises, Mr. Quinton Bean S.A., Mr. Quinton and Mrs. Barbara Johnson, Miss Keinlyn Lightbourne and Mr. Clarence Lightbourne.

This committee also recognised sports people a few months ago at the BIU hall. They consist of Anthony Santucci, Chairman, Norwood Salaam, Valerie Minors, Deborah Gibbons, Majrica Smith, Nelson Hunt, Sharon Anderson, Roberts Minors, Dorothea Simons and Vincent Darrell.

ROSS TUZO

Warwick