Echoes of a General Strike

The Bahama Journal Editorial




For better or worse, there are lessons that always come with the struggle for power; whether this battle has to do with who gets to determine how money is spent in a household, in an organization anywhere civil society, in a firm or at the state level.

Even more simply, politics is about who gets what, when, where and how; in addition, it is also about the definition of that party or individual whose will must be obeyed.

In other words, then, as in our own fledgling democracy; the question today arises concerning whether the governing party should, would or could yield to demands currently being made by some of this nation’s union leadership.

Among the instruments they say they have is that one that allows them to withdraw their labor and that of their membership in the event that the governing party does not yield to their demands.

We seriously doubt that, they have this level of support.

In addition, the fact remains that, this is just not the way things are done in today’s Bahamas.

Indeed, while unions and their membership do have the right to protest any policy they see fit; and even though they do have the right to take the government to court, they do not have any real right to hold any government hostage.

And for sure, it is a fact that the governing party has a mandate to lead and that –as such – they are called upon to lead. They also have promises to be kept.

Clearly, then, no right-thinking government should ever put itself in a position where it must endlessly consult with everyone; or for that matter, anyone else other than those given a similar mandate by the people.

This comes as a direct result of the free vote and expression of the people in free and fair elections.

Thereafter, the government leads and its Loyal Opposition opposes; with one party having its sway and the other its say.

We dare say that, anything else is a clear invitation to both foolishness and anarchy.

While we do believe all of what we are saying; we hasten to add that, no government worth its salt would ever so paint itself into a corner by alienating the masses of people who identify themselves as workers.

But by the same token, union leadership must always be mindful that while they are called to lead, this call must always be tempered by what is in the very best interests of their followers.

What makes this situation so very important is the fact that workers are voters. This means that whenever they wish, they can bring a government to grief and despair. These workers who are also voters know as well as anyone else that the choices they make can determine whether one side wins or the other loses.

This means that when workers become restive enough, their approval of this or that politician matters greatly.

Compounding the matter in the Bahamian case is the fact that the Bahamian labor force is compact, well organized, knows and feels its power.

Politicians who wish to be re-elected cannot ignore these people and their demands.

No politician worth his salt would ever dare express contempt or disdain for those voters who are workers.

We make this obvious point as we try to make sense of what seems increased restiveness on the part of very many public sector workers.

On occasion, their main gripe seems to concern money. At other times, workers and their representatives seem to be preoccupied with matters germane to respect.

In addition, there are times like the ones in which we live where some union leaders seem to have reached that point where – like politicians in their guise as law-makers – they would pontificate on matters germane to policy.

Here they are embarked –as it were – on a journey without maps; and here we are reminded that, history does not repeat itself.

We make this point as we reflect on some of what is today being said about how today’s political climate is seemingly reminiscent of that era in the late 1950’s when there was both call and response to the idea of a General Strike.

That great call was made by Randol F. Fawkes, Clifford Darling and Lynden O. Pindling.

Out of this great struggle has come a modern Bahamas where the rights of workers are enshrined in the law.

This we do in free and fair elections.

All else is anathema.

In the final analysis, then, law-making and policy should be left where the Constitution places them – squarely and fully in the hands of this nation’s parliamentarians.

That is why we boast so much about the longevity of parliamentary democracy in the Bahamas.

January 06, 2011

The Bahama Journal Editorial

Bahamas Blog International