I think this may have been in response to a comment i said. if so thank you for writing back. I agree with many points you are saying. I really meant that people often claim the US does nothing for us, when i think they do. Now yes they do it to benefit them, but that is what any country should do.
Problem is we all know the only way to change Government is to sue. If Fred said right now "OK no more law suits etc and we will let Government sort itself out". In two years time you can guarantee nothing would have happened.
I can never work out the unions. Yes he is right to fight for his members but every year whenever there is a slight issue they always come out and say general strike. As i said in an article yesterday the hotel issue is a non-issue. That was a proposal which the union now says no to. To immediately go on strike is playing your hand too early and shows an amateur union board at work. They should counter with their own proposal. But i guess that doesn't make for good viewing. In addition whilst the Government can say they would not like a strike there is not a whole lot they can do about the issues facing the union and hotels, as long as they both act within the law. Unless Government was willing to intervene in a purely employer V employee dispute, which would lead to a host of other problems.
It's a catch 22. Taxis dont want to drive Bahamians for safety and it is not as lucrative as the tourist. At the same time most Bahamians won't use Taxis as it is too expensive ($10-20 to go 2 miles is silly) and they don't feel safe. Due to that you have taxi drivers prepared to sit in line at the airport all day in the hope they will get that one ride to Atlantis. If more Bahamians were willing to use taxis (they would have to be cheaper and safe) then there could probably be more taxi drivers.
True Nassau is not a great place. But that doesn't remove the fact that Nassau subsidies the Family Islands. BPL is sold under cost in family islands, why? Because Nassau Subsidies them. Water and Sewerage the same. Roads the same. Basically everything is the same. There are only a few islands that can say they may contribute to the treasury and not take (mainly to the North).
It is normal when a proposal is given out for it to be extremely in favour of the person giving out the proposal (the hotels). It is then up to the unions to reply back stating yes or no to certain parts and to add their requests. This then goes back and forwards until an agreement is made or no agreement made. In the case of no agreement you then take a strike vote.You don't get the proposal have a hissy fit and take a strike vote. On the items being discussed above, i don't agree with automatic gratuity or bonuses (this should depend on the year just gone and can be more or less then a weeks pay or whatever), however as it was already in the contract there is no way the hotels can honestly think that would be given up as that is a massive pay cut. For that to happen they would need to increase basic pay to make up the shortfall.
I've always said each Government we've had is one of 3 types, They are either 1) useless, 2) Corrupt or 3) A bit of both. There is no way a country as blessed as ours is (due to location and our natural beauty) should not be doing very well for ALL it's citizens. The fact its not is due to this Government and those in the past being one of those 3. Which one they are is up to each person, but no doubt they are one of them.
There is of course one issue that the letter writer is not mentioning. All the services they are saying should happen have to be massively subsidised by tax payers in Nassau. We in Nassau spend a fortune to put all these departments in the family islands with very little to show for it. Yes the above problems shouldn't happen but at the end of the day for the Government to do it all correctly on every family island would take a massive increase in taxes (even if they were able to get rid of all the corruption). This is one of the biggest probelms facing us, how to provide the proper level of service into every island, even if it is only for 100 people.
Dawes says...
I think this may have been in response to a comment i said. if so thank you for writing back. I agree with many points you are saying. I really meant that people often claim the US does nothing for us, when i think they do. Now yes they do it to benefit them, but that is what any country should do.
On We're not controlled by Beijing
Posted 31 May 2019, 2:22 p.m. Suggest removal
Dawes says...
Hotels smart, Now when negotiations happen they will agree to keep the 15% and the xmas bonus and the union will think they've won.
On Strike crisis: Hotel workers signal massive vote for action
Posted 31 May 2019, 2:19 p.m. Suggest removal
Dawes says...
Fully agree. If anything the project cost him the election, and now we all benefit from the roads moving better.
On Projects were never meant to influence an election
Posted 31 May 2019, 9:18 a.m. Suggest removal
Dawes says...
Problem is we all know the only way to change Government is to sue. If Fred said right now "OK no more law suits etc and we will let Government sort itself out". In two years time you can guarantee nothing would have happened.
On 'Fred, stop suing': Symonette calls on QC to work with him to avoid court
Posted 28 May 2019, 2:37 p.m. Suggest removal
Dawes says...
I can never work out the unions. Yes he is right to fight for his members but every year whenever there is a slight issue they always come out and say general strike. As i said in an article yesterday the hotel issue is a non-issue. That was a proposal which the union now says no to. To immediately go on strike is playing your hand too early and shows an amateur union board at work. They should counter with their own proposal. But i guess that doesn't make for good viewing. In addition whilst the Government can say they would not like a strike there is not a whole lot they can do about the issues facing the union and hotels, as long as they both act within the law. Unless Government was willing to intervene in a purely employer V employee dispute, which would lead to a host of other problems.
On Union boss warns of 'industrial mayhem'
Posted 28 May 2019, 11:33 a.m. Suggest removal
Dawes says...
It's a catch 22. Taxis dont want to drive Bahamians for safety and it is not as lucrative as the tourist. At the same time most Bahamians won't use Taxis as it is too expensive ($10-20 to go 2 miles is silly) and they don't feel safe. Due to that you have taxi drivers prepared to sit in line at the airport all day in the hope they will get that one ride to Atlantis. If more Bahamians were willing to use taxis (they would have to be cheaper and safe) then there could probably be more taxi drivers.
On Taxi drivers ready for Tuesday protest
Posted 27 May 2019, 3:54 p.m. Suggest removal
Dawes says...
True Nassau is not a great place. But that doesn't remove the fact that Nassau subsidies the Family Islands. BPL is sold under cost in family islands, why? Because Nassau Subsidies them. Water and Sewerage the same. Roads the same. Basically everything is the same. There are only a few islands that can say they may contribute to the treasury and not take (mainly to the North).
On We're going backwards
Posted 27 May 2019, 9:17 a.m. Suggest removal
Dawes says...
It is normal when a proposal is given out for it to be extremely in favour of the person giving out the proposal (the hotels). It is then up to the unions to reply back stating yes or no to certain parts and to add their requests. This then goes back and forwards until an agreement is made or no agreement made. In the case of no agreement you then take a strike vote.You don't get the proposal have a hissy fit and take a strike vote. On the items being discussed above, i don't agree with automatic gratuity or bonuses (this should depend on the year just gone and can be more or less then a weeks pay or whatever), however as it was already in the contract there is no way the hotels can honestly think that would be given up as that is a massive pay cut. For that to happen they would need to increase basic pay to make up the shortfall.
On Hotel workers in strike ballot
Posted 27 May 2019, 9:08 a.m. Suggest removal
Dawes says...
I've always said each Government we've had is one of 3 types, They are either 1) useless, 2) Corrupt or 3) A bit of both. There is no way a country as blessed as ours is (due to location and our natural beauty) should not be doing very well for ALL it's citizens. The fact its not is due to this Government and those in the past being one of those 3. Which one they are is up to each person, but no doubt they are one of them.
On Mitchell: FNM govt corrupt to the core
Posted 24 May 2019, 3:32 p.m. Suggest removal
Dawes says...
There is of course one issue that the letter writer is not mentioning. All the services they are saying should happen have to be massively subsidised by tax payers in Nassau. We in Nassau spend a fortune to put all these departments in the family islands with very little to show for it. Yes the above problems shouldn't happen but at the end of the day for the Government to do it all correctly on every family island would take a massive increase in taxes (even if they were able to get rid of all the corruption). This is one of the biggest probelms facing us, how to provide the proper level of service into every island, even if it is only for 100 people.
On We're going backwards
Posted 24 May 2019, 3:28 p.m. Suggest removal