OBA: ‘We Completely Reject The Premise’

February 5, 2016

“We completely reject the premise of the Bermuda Industrial Union’s special edition of The Workers’ Voice” as “their presentation of information is twisted, misleading and false,” the OBA said.

This follows after the Workers Voice released a special edition focused on the “State of Employment for Bermudians under the OBA Government,” saying that Bermudians “are being displaced in their own country.”

In response, the OBA said, “The One Bermuda Alliance Government is committed to doing all we can to complete an economic turnaround that benefits working families across the Island at every level.

“That has been the focus of our economic programme from Day One. And so we completely reject the premise of the Bermuda Industrial Union’s special edition of The Workers’ Voice.

“Their presentation of information is twisted, misleading and false. To say the Government has ;used’ $77 million to support the America’s Cup is simply wrong.

“To say the Government ‘exploited’ Immigration legislation allowing PRCs to apply for status ignores the Supreme Court ruling that PLP legislation gave them the right to apply for status.

“To object to the Government’s hiring freeze ignores the fact that the BIU supported the hiring freeze.

“The Government has spent a tremendous amount of energy restoring investor confidence in Bermuda that was all but destroyed by the end of 2012; confidence that leads to jobs. We’re not there yet, but the foundation is unquestionably in place for a recovery that will help Bermudians across the board.

“BIU objections to this work, particularly against the massive setbacks for workers under the previous government, is strange but not unexpected. We welcome criticism and pressure, but only ask that it be based on facts, not spin.”

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Comments (68)

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  1. Boo Hoo says:

    Bermuda is not a country, it is a British overseas territory. Once Bermudians come to terms with this reality they will realize how they cannot claim what is not theirs.

    • Onion Juice says:

      So where are your figures to REFUTE, otherwise you don’t have a case. DREAMERS
      LMFAO

    • Onion Juice says:

      @ Boo Hoo, do you have that same sentiment toward the Europeans who invaded countries and islands that were inhabited by indigenous people for thousands of years.
      Mmmmm

      • Juicy Onion says:

        @Onion Juice … I find it strange how you always focus on Europeans and what happened yesterday. Why are you not so vocal about what is going on in Africa TODAY. Why do you not condemn the theft of land, the thousands killed, young women stolen, gang raped, made slaves of the killed?

        • Truth Teller says:

          Because Juicy Onion what is going on in Africa today was set in motion by the same Europeans that Onion Juice is referencing. European Imperialism over the last two hundred years has left a dark and destructive legacy world wide and not just in Africa.

          Juicy Onion wants to take ownership of the good parts of this historical legacy of course; and just conveniently ignore the rest.

          Moreover, he and others of his ilk while eager to celebrate the good parts of that history as indicated will quickly do a 180 degree turn and tell the rest of us that we should not delve on the past.

          Go figure.

    • Raymond Ray says:

      Unfortunately many behave / are sooooo asinine in thinking Bermuda is the world and yes, theirs. Not so! As mentioned above, (Bermuda is not a country, it is a British overseas territory. Once Bermudians come to terms with this reality they will realize how they cannot claim what is not theirs.)Furthermore, how would the many Bermudians living overseas feel if they were told they have x amount of days to go back home?

  2. Coffee says:

    Tell me something , how much energy did the UBP/BDA/OBA expand in voiding legal contracts ?

    • hmmm says:

      What like that one with the same people where 18m went missing….What could have that number Bean ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

    • Build a Better Bermuda says:

      Are you referring to the contract that was found to have been given after a highly questionable tendering process, the voiding of which kept more of our land out of the hands of the same developer that can’t say where $18m went and has so far resulted in foreign entities laying claims to acres of local real estate. Thank the for expending energies on that, because if they hadn’t, who knows who would own our waterfront now.

  3. Rhonda says:

    Does anyone expect the oba to except any responsibility, and be accountable, continue to speak at the voting booth Bermudian.

    • Um Um Like says:

      I don’t think anyone can expect any political party to “except” anything.

      Do the people of Bermuda expect the PLP to ACCEPT any responsibility for the dire economic situation that we are now faced with?

      • Family Man says:

        Don’t axe me; you should axe them.

        • Onion Juice says:

          SpoongeBob has borrowed just as much in 3 years that P.L.P has in 14 years.

          • Ringmaster says:

            More lies. Starting in 2006 the PLP raised spending way above revenue. Despite the global recession so beloved as an excuse by the PLP revenue only dropped by around 10% so that was not the problem. Expenses continued to rise driven largely by the wage bill for the public sector. Borrowing could be stopped but the public sector has been protected from the job losses in the private sector. Soon that will end even if the PLP get elected in 2017.

      • Keepin' it Real!...4Real! says:

        We do expect…but will they?

    • Prego says:

      Hey Rhonda. You owe the rest of us Bermudians $18MILLION. When can we expect to get that back?

  4. Unbelievable says:

    The PLP/BIU are behaving like the Republicans in the US. They are creating a false narrative that completely ignores their own shoddy record. They create the problem and then go around pointing the finger at someone else.

    Bill Maher does a great clip about this:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8bihhjH3nI

    ^^ that is the PLP/BIU right now.

  5. Qualified and unemployed in my home land says:

    I am still unemployed since 2013.
    Yet expats flourish in our jobs.
    Immigration (FAHY) now says these expats can stay here forever. No term limits

    Don’t know how I am to obtain employment

    To the OBA – Action speaks louder than words
    Signed
    Hurting in Bermuda

    • brigadooner says:

      Get off your back-side and apply for jobs? You still have priority over ex-pats you know. Don’t blame the government for your laziness

      • Wake up Bermudians says:

        Brigadooner, how the hell do yo know that unemployed Bermudian is not vigorously looking for a job? Bermudians are too nice. No other country in the world has so many of its citizens out of work while foreign workers are gainfully employed. Bermudians should take to the streets to change the policies imposed on the citizens of this country. I worked in the Exempt Company industry and it was obvious to me that they had an adverse opinion of Bermudians. Many of the white employees only had their positions because they were white. They didn’t know their ass from their elbow. Bermudians better wake up and speak up before they become outsiders in their own country.

    • Unbelievable says:

      This is a plant.

    • Come Correct says:

      Serious? I’ve quit 2 jobs since 2013 and I just have jobs thrown at me. Strange.

    • Anon Ymous says:

      Get rid of all the expats and foreign companies and all of ‘our jobs’ that they currently hold no longer exist (in Bda at least) – nor do the payroll taxes, support roles of local business and all other spending, such as rents, furnishings, IT equipment, cars, boats, fuel, food, airport departure taxes, etc, etc, etc.

      Careful what you wish for.

    • hmmm says:

      Well all permit renewals will be advertised on the Jobs board…so EVERY JOB available can be seen.

      ps What have you done since 2013 to improve yourself, or tailor yourself the the jobs market?

      I’m a nuclear scientist by education, yet not a job in sight here for me…guess what, I retooled to stay in my home.

    • Build a Better Bermuda says:

      What are you qualified for?? Your grammar and sentence structure doesn’t lend towards the professional business level, so if you aren’t in the business field, then you would be in the trades industry. An industry that relies on the foriegn capital and bodies that the business fields bring in, and as the indicators are say that they are only just beginning to turn the corner and come back, you will still have to wait awhile for them to get back up to the level to resurge those industries. And if you are in business… well back to the grammar and sentence structure part of my statement.

    • Food says:

      Expats are here because they do the jobs which Bermudians are not qualified to do OR REFUSE TO DO. Either get yourself qualified, or accept something less. Your call.

      You are guaranteed a job if you get off your a– and earn it.

    • Ponty says:

      What are you qualified for?

  6. RBYC member says:

    The PLP in all its dysfunction has embarrassed you OBA. People are tired of the OBA’s lies and 2017 you are out.

    Your afraid to decriminalize marijuana in small amounts.
    Your afraid to allow gays to marry.
    Your afraid of the church voters.
    Your afraid of the white voters.
    Your afraid of the black voters.
    Your afraid of the Government workers.
    Your afraid of the BIU.
    Your afraid of the gangs.

    The only thing your not afraid of is to pay the BTA Chief the big salaries $$$$$$$$$ with less tourist coming in Bermuda. Adding to that he and the crew still get a nice bonus when everyone else in the island is taking pay cuts.

    • meh. says:

      You’re*
      You’re*
      You’re*
      You’re*
      You’re*
      You’re*
      You’re*
      You’re*

    • Ann says:

      I agree with this statement and I am an OBA supporter, they need to take a stance on at least one issue! As for the comment by qualified and unemployed, don’t think if the PLP did get in again they are going to knock at your door to employ you- maybe like a lot of people you need to settle for something you are over qualified to do!

    • Keepin' it Real!...4Real! says:

      There is a volume of refugees destabilising Europe…guess who’s destabilising Bermuda…

  7. watching says:

    The OBA needs to realize that their method of writing, which disrespects and alienates the majority of Bermudians, is not working!

    Exhibit A – Jamahl Simmons defeats Georgia Marshall handily in Sandys South

    Exhibit B – Diallo Rabain defeats Andrew Simons handily in Devonshire North Central

    Both by-elections had increased margins of victory over the General Election of 2012.

    Who wants next?

    • meh. says:

      What do you mean their writing disrespects and alienates?

  8. Coffee says:

    Tell me something , why hasn’t the UBP/BDA/OBA completely rejected the Minister of Works and Engineering after he was allegedly accused of giving away government property ,limestone, to a private citizen ?

  9. No longer a member says:

    The OBA’s public realtions people stink!!!!!! PLP crush them at every turn. Their members are not afraid to be boastruss, and show their support. It is no way they are suppose to get the support that they are getting with what they have put Bermuda into for 14 years of mismanagement, but the people will vote them back in because their radio station and properganda is doing a great job. All the OBA is doing is holding the purse strings well, other then that they are doing a poor job in everything else. You will loose under your present way of getting your message accross. And when that happens, who will suffer the most is the poor and uneducated who typically will vote PLP no matter what.

  10. Onion says:

    STOP REPEATING PLP TALKING POINTS. BY REPEATING THEM YOU GIVE THEM WEIGHT.

  11. No longer a member says:

    All these statements made above, back them up with proof. Explain it to the people of this country in a way that they understand. The airport deal I totally understand how it is a win for Bermuda, but it is not explained in a way that the common man can understand. Explain it against how the hospital was done and how it is costing us milions each year that we don’t have. All the brains in your party and you can’t get your message accross in a way that common people can understand will kill you.

    • mixitup says:

      Where do you people get off with this ‘explain so that the common people will understand?’ It’s clear… The Airport project is not a project of national importance at this time…so why is it being rushed through? Where do you get that giving away a key asset (the airport) is a win for Bermuda boggles my mind…. Now if the OBA tendered out a project to address both bridges in the east, I’d jump on the bandwagon…and yes, we do understand the bridge is not going to generate revenue, but neither is the Airport …well at least not for Gov’t coffers…and if they don’t generate the revenue, we pay on top of pay…

      Another note: The company AECON mentioned that the Airport ‘should sustain Bermuda for the next 100 years’ And the current one cannot sustain us for 5 more??

    • Onion Juice says:

      “It is not explained in a way that the common man can understand”
      Maybe the one who is trying to explain it don’t have a F!@#ing clue himself, like trying to make sense out of nonsense.
      LMFAO

  12. archy says:

    I wonder how many people would have been aware of the Workers’ Voice article until the Govt responded?

  13. swing voter says:

    Am I better off now? hell yes and so are the majority who wud have faced unemployment after if the 2012 election turned out differently. Lets be real here, the money wud have continued to leave with nothing coming in, no new hotels, no AC35, no nothing!

  14. Born Bermudian says:

    Please, foreign/expat workers who put down Bermuda and Bermudians, quit your overpaid jobs and lifestyles you have been afforded on this 7star island and leave. Take the OBA/PLP Politicians with you

  15. Little reality as it actually pertains to law.please..