“We March” organiser Ranard Henfield addresses the crowd in Rawson Square. Photo/Shawn Hanna
SEEKING to ramp up pressure on the government following its ‘Black Friday’ march, We March Bahamas organisers have threatened to initiate a national strike if Prime Minister Perry Christie does not give a national address on steps taken to meet protest demands.
In a letter to Mr. Christie, lead organiser Ranard Henfield reiterated that there was no reason to meet privately with the nation’s leader because all issues listed were well within his permit to immediately effect change “with the stroke of a pen” given his portfolio as prime minister, minister of finance, and minister with responsibility for Crown land.
He said that if Mr. Christie met some of the demands in good faith, via a public address by December 8, he was prepared to convene a meeting with the more than 40 affiliated organisations and the media to discuss controversial issues.
The letter read: “The monumental Black Friday event of November 25, 2016, has forever redefined the memory of ‘Black Friday’ in the Bahamas. No longer will its history only be associated with the half price sales around Thanksgiving or slavery. It will now forever be remembered as the day when Bahamians of all creeds, colours, social statuses, political affiliations and religious views came together as one people united in love and raised up chants of our national anthem, our national motto and our national pledge as we demanded better governance and representation.
“Tears flowed as thousands came together in the most racially, socially and politically diverse display of solidarity and national pride seen since Independence. Never again will Bahamians be so easy to divide and conquer as we now appreciate that once united, we are more powerful than the people in power.”
Organisers issued a list of 23 non-partisan demands to the prime minister and several of his Cabinet ministers on November 9, and again on November 22. Mr. Christie responded to organisers by letter on November 24, in which he invited leaders to meet with him at his office. However this offer was rejected.
Just over a thousand protestors marched from Arawak Cay to Rawson Square on November 25, with more generous estimates putting the figure around 1,500 persons.
Organisers have another march slated for Majority Rule Day on January 9, but have dubbed the day “United People Day”.
The protest attracted significant support from activists and civic organisations, as well as the support of the country’s two umbrella unions, the Obie Ferguson-led Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the John Pinder-led National Congress of Trade Unions Bahamas (NCTUB).
Mr. Pinder, president of the Bahamas Public Services Union, ended his second term as leader of the NCTUB on Tuesday, and was replaced by Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) President Bernard Evans. Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) President Paul Maynard was named first vice-president.
Yesterday, Mr. Pinder told The Tribune that while his union has a significant number of issues presently before the Labour Department, it does not have a strike vote, and will not participate in a “national strike” without it. Notable issues include disputes with resorts, Sandals and Ocean Club.
In the Sandals matter, union leaders had started sensitising their memberships for a collective call-to-action in response to the contentious nolle prosequi in September. That effort, tagged the “Joint Labour Movement”, foreshadowed a national strike or, at the very least, a mass demonstration.
Mr. Pinder said those plans were put on hold with the passage of category four Hurricane Matthew, and as such, unionists regarded the ‘Black Friday’ march as an opportunity to protest outstanding matters.
The letter sent yesterday outlines 33 demands, 13 of which are directly related to matters currently in dispute between unions and the government, and does not provide any further details about the national strike.
Other demands call for an immediate cease order and moratorium on all government dealings with China or any foreign interest with respect to natural resources; a public declaration from Mr. Christie that he will not issue any further leases of seabed or Crown land for the remainder of his term, and a commitment to remove it from the portfolio and establish an apolitical body to administer the distribution of Crown land; the announcement of the 2017 general election and legislative amendments to establish a fixed date; to release the completed draft Freedom of Information Bill and table it if there are no objections from civil society; and the public disclosure of a number of audits and reports.
Mr. Henfield drew parallels between the November 25 march and protests staged by the Progressive Liberal Party, and also pointed out the large contingent of PLP parliamentarians that attended the demonstration. As such, he said that his organisation did not expect the prime minister to be obstructive given the sentiments expressed in his previous letter.
Mr. Henfield also highlighted the PLP leader’s failure to publicly disavow disparaging statements made against protesters by senior Cabinet ministers and PLP MPs.
He referred to statements made by Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell, and Tall Pines MP Leslie Miller.
“Should the nation not hear from the Office of the Prime Minister in support of the demands listed above, we the organisers of We March intend to initiate further acts of peaceful civil disobedience on Friday, December 9, for the sole purpose of reminding our parliamentarians that the power of the people is greater than the people in power,” Mr. Henfield said.
By Ava Turnquest, Tribune Chief Reporter
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