Condolences are pouring in for Airport, Airline and Allied Workers Union President Nelerene Harding who has passed away.
Labour Minister Shane Gibson among those remembering the life-long trade unionist who rose from the ranks of trustee to the position of president – a position she held until the time of her death.
“On behalf of the Government and workers of The Bahamas, I offer condolences to her family especially her mother, daughter and granddaughter, and to her friends and the workers that she boldly and resolutely represented and defended,” Mr. Gibson said. “The Bahamas has suffered a great loss.”
Ms. Harding served with distinction, the minister said, in the labour movement for over thirty years, and worked in many capacities in the AAAWU eventually rising to the post of President.
“I met Nelerene Harding in the early 1980s when I served as a shop steward in the Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU),” Mr. Gibson said.
“My respect for her abilities as a Trade Unionist, was solidified when we both served as Executives in the National Congress of Trade Unions of The Bahamas where she rose to the position of Third Vice-President. Additionally, she was a past member of the Board of Directors of the National Workers Cooperative Credit Union.
‘Not one to rest on her laurels, Ms. Harding sharpened her skills when she represented The Bahamas in many training workshops held internationally. She used her knowledge for the benefit of the worker. Her latest feat was to conclude and sign an Industrial Agreement for the non-management employees of Bahamasair. She was a visionary leader, specializing in employee benefits with particular emphasis on pension and medical plans. In fact, she served as a Master Trustee of the International Benefits Association, an international association which deals with employee benefits and pensions.
‘Nelarene Harding was a role model for young and aspiring trade unionists – she was skilled, knowledgeable and unwavering in her pursuit of rights for the workers she served selflessly.’
