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Last Updated: Jun 22, 2018 - 6:56:08 PM |
 Contribution by Senator The Hon. Dion A. Foulkes Minister of Labour 2018/2019 Budget Communication The Senate 21 June, 2018:
Madam President, I would like to comment on the tragic events of June 1st which occurred during the Sir Randol Fawkes Labour Day Parade in which four of our country’s productive and law abiding citizens; Ms. Tabitha Shelley Haye; Ms. Kathleen Fernander; Mrs. Tami Patrice Gibson and Ms. Diane Gray-Ferguson tragically lost their lives during the parade, which also injured 26 persons.
[Comments on events….]
Madam President, on behalf of myself, my wife Emma, The Ministry and Department of Labour and the Government of The Bahamas I wish to once again extend heartfelt condolences and words of comfort to all of the families of the deceased and all of the injured.
I wish to assure you and the Bahamian people that this Government is committed to working with the two major umbrella unions, the National Congress of Trade Unions Bahamas and the Commonwealth of The Bahamas Trade Union Congress and law enforcement officials to ensure that we prevent any future such occurrences.
Madam President, I wish to state that the Ministry of Labour is about to embark on a number of progressive and innovative initiatives designed to further improve the over-all state of labour in the country. These are changing times and in order to develop in this modern day era The Bahamas must evolve and properly prepare its labour force.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR
Madam President, over the past twelve months, the staff of the Department of Labour have been focusing on their Mission which is to provide Decent Work for all Citizens and Residents of The Bahamas while at the same time fostering good Industrial Relations between employees and employers.
Madam President, I am so pleased to report that as a result of our continual and sustained efforts along with my Government’s commitment to social dialogue and the development of strong long-lasting partnerships, the industrial relations environment in the country is stable and the partnership with unions is very strong. I am of the opinion that this robust partnership will have a direct influence on the settlement of workplace disputes and the resurgence of the economy.
Madam President, the Ministry of Labour in conjunction with the Department has over the past few months developed a number of programmes and initiatives, aimed at addressing the Labour component set out in the FNM Government’s Manifesto and have implemented these programmes which include, but are not limited to:
- The “Labour On the Blocks” Initiative which has resulted in over 8,500 registered jobseekers in the Department of Labour’s database and job opportunities to over 1200 persons. With the members of the business community as our partners, thousands of jobseekers were afforded direct access to over 69 employers in New Providence and Grand Bahama during the six Labour on the Blocks job fairs.
During the Labour on the Blocks Job Fairs we were able to carry the employers directly to the people in Golden Gates, Bains and Grants Town, Centreville, Fox Hill and Grand Bahama.
Additionally, a Construction Job Fair was held for construction workers.
I am pleased to note that this caring Bahamian Government has now demonstrated its commitment to this project by placing $104,000.00 in this budget to further the work of this exciting project.
We will be continuing with our ‘Labour on the Blocks’ initiative which has been so successful in enriching the lives of so many persons.
Madam President, I therefore take this opportunity to announce that our next Labour on the Blocks Job Fair will be held in the Southern District of New Providence at C.V. Bethel High School at East Street South, on Saturday the 22 of September before the beginning of the Christmas Season, a time when companies regularly take on new hires.
Also during the month of September 2018, a job fair will be held specifically for the inmates of the Department of Corrections so that those persons who are about to be released will have gainful employment as soon as possible.
2. Our second enterprise will be the submission of a White Paper by the National Tripartite Council on the enactment of National Productivity Legislation as well as draft legislation based on the Barbadian model. It is anticipated that once consultations with all stakeholders and the general public have been completed the draft Bill will be submitted to Cabinet for consideration;
3. Our third project is the upgrade of the PC Recruiter System to ensure greater efficiency in the Public Employment Services Unit which I will elaborate on further in this communication.
4. Fourthly, is the appointment of a Select Committee on Skills Employment and Training in New Providence and the Family Islands.
5. This select Committee, which I chair, has been charged to submit recommendations to the Government to ensure that the training that is offered by our tertiary institutions will meet the demands and needs of the 21st century labour market, thus reducing the number of work permits that are requested and approved on a weekly basis.
Madam President, I wish to report that work on the Committee is progressing well. The Committee is represented by The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and the Employers’ Confederation as well as representatives of industry leaders from the University of The Bahamas, The Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute, the National Training Agency, other private tertiary institutions and technical schools and representatives of various industries including the maritime and banking sectors.
Madam President, I wish to inform you that the results of their findings and recommendations will be submitted to Cabinet for consideration in due course.
6. Finally, there will be the implementation of the IDB Sponsored Programme for “Skills for Current and Future Jobs” which was designed as a National Apprenticeship Programme which will transform the Bahamian Labour Market for decades to come.
Madam President, the OSHA Unit of the Department of Labour is charged with the monitoring and enforcement of all statutes and regulations associated with working people in the country. These statutes include The Health & Safety At Work Act, Industrial Relations Act, the Employment Act, the Minimum Wage Act, the National Insurance Act and the Immigration Act.
Over the past year the OSHA Unit dealt with numerous investigations, complaints and inspections. Additional inspections in Occupational Safety and Health were conducted with great success and advice was given to reduce the number of accidents that occur each day. During these inspections, there were some major and minor breaches of the Health & Safety At Work Act, however, Inspectors were able to confidently advise Employers of hazards and instruct them to put more safety mechanisms in place.
Madam President, during the past year the Regulatory and Compliance Unit implemented new procedures aimed at improving the delivery of professional and efficient services to its customers which included:
- The issuance of a Compliance Certificate in accordance with Section 30 of the Industrial Relations Act 1970 for the submission of Annual Audited Financial Statements by
- Trade Unions.
- New procedures for the registration of Collective Bargaining Agreements as set out in Section 51 of the Industrial Relations Act 1970.
- On time preparation and submission of international reports on behalf of The Bahamas as a member of the International Labour Organization (ILO);
- The licensing and auditing of seafarer recruitment and placement services as set out by the International Maritime Organization;
- Sponsoring of an educational seminar for trade unions to ensure better compliance with statutes, regulations and procedures.
In addition to the aforementioned, the Public Relations & Technology Department has been given rave reviews by members of the public for providing excellent responses on social media.
Madam President, the Industrial Relations Unit is charged with the mandate to settle all trade disputes pursuant to section 68 of the Industrial Relations Act, Chapter 321 of the Statute Laws of The Bahamas. For the period July – December 2017 the Unit enjoyed an 89% success rate in resolving the trade disputes filed. For the first quarter of 2018 the Unit received 325 trade disputes of which 59 were either withdrawn or referred to the Industrial Tribunal. With 128 disputes pending, this means that the success rate for this period is 70%.
NEW EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
Madam President, The Bahamas continues to enjoy a very favourable relationship with the major cruise lines such as Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines and Carnival which each year bring thousands of visitors and tourists to our beautiful shores. The Government through the National Training Agency and its other relevant agencies have entered a unique partnership that would allow for the on-going employment and placement of qualified and trained Bahamians on these cruise vessels.
Already 50 Bahamians have been employed by Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines to fill positions as Guest Relations Officers, Assistant Waiters, Baristas, Cleaners, Cooks, Oilers, Sailors, Pastry Chef Trainees and Restaurant Attendants. An additional, 171 persons were interviewed, 69 of whom were from Grand Bahama. As Royal Caribbean is committed to hiring 200 Bahamians per year, it is expected that many of these persons will be hired in the near future.
Talks are presently ongoing with Carnival Cruiselines to determine how we can jump start our employment with that company. Indeed, I have just returned from a tour of Carnival’s training facilities in Miami and I am most impressed with what I witnessed. (Give Details)
CITIZEN SECURITY AND JUSTICE PROGRAMME
Madam President, the Government of The Bahamas continues the implementation of the Citizen Security and Justice Programme (referred to as CSJP). This Programme focuses on four major components aimed to:
- improve behaviours for non-violent conflict resolution;
- increase employability and employment of the youth population in New Providence;
- strengthen institutional capabilities of our justice services; and
- to reduce the recidivism rate among persons within the prison system
Madam President, my Ministry, along with the Department of Labour is the Coordinating Agency for Component 2 of this multi-faceted, inter-agency approach to citizen security, with emphasis on employment opportunity. For the upcoming 2018-2019 fiscal year, the expected expenditure for Component 2 of the Citizen Security and Justice Programme is $1,171,967.
Madam President, the main outcomes expected for this Component are to:
- increase from zero to 35% by 2019 the at-risk youth ages 15-29 years old, who obtained a certificate of completion in the “training for employability” programme and transitioned to the “training for employment” programme up to 6 months after the training for employability programme;
- increase from 30% to 40% by 2019 the at-risk youth ages 15-29 years old who obtained a certificate of completion in the “training for employment” programme who secured a job in the sector in which they were trained three months after training; and
- increase from 2% to 18% by 2020 the job placement rate by the Public Employment Services (PES) in New Providence.
The training for employability programme for at-risk youth will focus on developing soft skills (e.g. responsibility, degree of commitment, team-building, persistence, and self-control), through competency based and remedial education. To this end, literacy and numeracy skills will be offered to 1,000 beneficiaries to facilitate the development of competencies identified by employers as necessary for employability.
A customized and comprehensive competency-based curriculum will be used to train 1,600 at risk youth for employment with special emphasis in the Hospitality and Retail sectors. Learning modules and a learning environment will engage youth at-risk from diverse backgrounds and encourage active participation in the learning environment. Ongoing academic and psycho-social support, will be provided to give learners access to peer to peer support, coaches and mentors.
Madam President, over the next fiscal year, we expect some 520 of the 2,600 persons to be trained. A training budget of $865,300 has been established for the 520 candidates.
The first training cohort of 260 persons is expected to be completed by December 2018 with an additional 260 persons to be trained during the first quarter of 2019. Collaboration with the Citizen Security and Justice Project Implementation Unit, the Department of Labour, and The Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation will provide internships (inclusive of a small stipend), on-the-job exposure, and job placement.
PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT SERVICES
Capacity building of the Public Employment Services (PES) will continue through interventions such as enhancements to the Electronic Labour Exchange (employment portal), staff training, engagement of employers, and refurbishment of the PES offices.
It is anticipated that the Official launch of the ‘One Stop Service Centre’ will take place on July 2, 2018. Madam President, this will greatly assist in matching job seekers with local companies seeking new hires. Job seekers who do not have a computer and internet will be able to come into the Center, be registered, and log on a computer and within a matter of seconds view new available jobs. Our professional and well qualified Labour Officers presently provide job seekers with assistance in creating their resumes.
The One Stop Center will also provide job seekers with tips and advice on how to properly prepare for job interviews. The Center will also conduct internal job fairs.
I am pleased to announce that One Stop Centers have been ideally positioned in Grand Bahama and Abaco. By the end of this fiscal year, these services will also be offered in Exuma, Eleuthera, and Andros.
This institutional strengthening and capacity building positions my Ministry to better assess the reasonable market demand for workers/skills in The Bahamas where barriers for persons with little to no academic qualifications/criminal records are the lowest.
Madam President, the CSJP has allocated $90,000 to help furnish four Public Employment Services (PES) offices managed by the Department of Labour. It is anticipated that the furnishing would be completed before the end of the third quarter of 2018. The use of the Public Employment Services introduces an evidence-based approach to analyzing labour market needs.
Through its Electronic Labour Exchange (ELE) portal, the Department of Labour will collect data on employers’ perceptions of skill gaps, identify employment vacancies, identify minimum literacy and numeracy, soft skills and technical requirements and/or equivalency for employment, and ensure that training is delivered to match employment vacancies and employment needs. The ELE will be used to capture evidence based data for programme transparency and accountability.
CONSUMER AFFAIRS
Madam President, you would be aware that all of the Consumer Agencies fall under the portfolio of the Ministry of Labour, that is The Bahamas Bureau of Standards and Quality, Consumer Affairs Division, the Consumer Protection Commission, the Prices Control Board and the Rent Control Board.
During the fiscal year these agencies will work more closely together to synergize the efforts that will be brought to protect the welfare of consumers from fraudulent merchants, and ensuring that all goods sold and services provided are at the highest standards.
You would note that budget increases have been provided to the Consumer Welfare Affairs Unit in the amount of $27,000.00 and $50,000.00 to the Consumer Protection Commission. An educational programme will be devised to alert the public of their rights as consumers. Additionally, all four agencies will be travelling throughout The Bahamas to ensure that every store is visited and every gasoline pump is checked and that every merchant is educated on their obligations in accordance with the law. Town Hall meetings will be held in the Family Islands to educate the public also. This initiative commenced in May of this year as teams travelled to Long Island and Bimini and will continue throughout the length and breadth of the islands.
Madam President, at this moment I wish to take the time to commend my dedicated and committed hard working team at the Ministry of Labour and the Department of Labour headed by Ms. Cecilia Strachan, Permanent Secretary (Acting). I also wish to thank the outgoing Director of Labour, Mr. Robert Farquharson for his stellar leadership at the Department of Labour over these past several years. He has now assumed a new role in the Ministry of Labour with responsibility for all matters pertaining to skills, employment and training. We welcome the new Acting Director of Labour, Mr. John Pinder who comes with a wealth of experience in labour matters. We wish him much success in his new appointment.
Madam President in closing I wish to congratulate the Minister of Works, the Honourable Mr. Desmond Bannister and the Board of Directors, management and union at Bahamas Power Light for the successful conclusion of the voluntary separation of staff exercises.
© Copyright 2018 by thebahamasweekly.com
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