By Christopher Famous

An open letter to Bermuda’s civil servants:

“Bermuda values and needs your services. Your jobs will be safe under an OBA Government. Our approach will be to freeze the growth of the civil service and allow it to shrink by attrition.

“Regardless of what you hear, there will be no civil service jobs cut. Period. We recognise that the task ahead will be formidable, and we will need your good will and help to tackle it.”

“Together, we can build a better Bermuda for the people we serve.

“Let’s give change a chance. Let’s work together for a Bermuda based on economic and social equity for all, leaving no one behind.”

Craig Cannonier, Leader, One Bermuda Alliance, Dec 15, 2012

The OBA apparently used MP Craig Cannonier to convince Bermudian civil servants to vote for them by promising no government job cuts.

What a difference an election makes.

On June 6, 2014 Premier Dunkley tabled the Public Bodies Reform Act draft in the House of Assembly.

When passed, this Act will be used to create a Public Bodies Reform Authority which will have the exact same remit and powers as the SAGE Commission.

This legislation will also give the Public Bodies Reform Authority full power and control over:-

1 All government assets

2 All government ministries

3 All government departments

4 All government employees

5 All public bodies and quangos including the BTA, BHC, BLDC, Bermuda Monetary Authority, etc

6 All government tax revenue

“Successful outsourcing and privatisation will cause, in the near-term, lower class incomes to stagnate.

“Given the negative near-term impact of deficit reduction policies on lower class incomes and the economy’s inherent tendency toward greater inequality, political insensitivity to a declining share of national income going to the lower class could have dire consequences for social cohesion, the legitimacy of our democracy and the long-run stability of the Island.” Economist Craig Simmons said.

Two years ago the OBA talked about “Social and Economic equity for all, leaving no one behind.”

Privatisation will cause multi-generational displacement of Bermudian families with many having to leave Bermuda in order to survive socially and economically, leaving many Bermudian families behind.

The OBA seemingly is only focused on allowing pathways for more and more non-Bermudians to be fully employed in Bermuda. While implementing privatisation to born Bermudians out of work. This clearly shows who they really care about.

* The OBA apparently used Craig Cannonier in order to convince Bermudian Civil Servants to trust the OBA.

* The OBA is about to cut Bermudian Civil Servants out of jobs.

* The OBA is about to grant hundreds of non-Bermudians employment in Bermuda with no advertisement of jobs or any work permit procedures. This will effectively block qualified Bermudians from gaining employment in IB or any start-up ventures that may be tied to privatisation of Government departments.

* The privatisation of our civil service will cause a further widening of social and economic inequities.

So, (see sidebar) between these 24 persons they are raking in $2,178,704 or on average $90,779 each per year.

Bermudians clearly realise that the line in the sand has been drawn. The Government and their friends and family have lined up the carving of the Bermudian government and public assets.

We either stand together and defend our right to have a job to feed our families, or we lay down and get starved out by the OBA. It is as simple as that.

Bermudians, you can no longer trust the OBA as each OBA MP and Senator will continue to get paid on average $90,779 after they cut your jobs.

Not one of them will lose any pay. Not one.

“Those who love peace must learn to organise as effectively as those who love war.” – Martin Luther King Jr.