Progressive Liberal Party Chairman Fred Mitchell is calling on Minister of Labour Dion Foulkes to review the unions’ complaints about the conduct of Labour Director John Pinder.

Yesterday, Mitchell expressed concerns regarding comments on Mr. Pinder’s conduct in a series of trade disputes. 

In a statement, Mitchell said he wants Foulkes to assure the public and union leaders that there will be no reoccurrence of Mr. Pinder’s conduct in the future and the office’s functions will be discharged without “fear or favor”.

Mr. Mitchell further revealed that representatives of the Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU) and the Bahamas Doctors Union (BDU) labelled Mr. Pinder’s conduct as “an honest and disinterested broker” in the trade disputes before his department. 

“The director of labour is a statutory position and is meant to be politically and otherwise neutral in the discharge of his or her duties,” he said.

“All parties need to feel sure that when they come before the Department of Labour, they can implicitly trust the office and its processes.”

Mitchell’s call follows comments made by BDU President Dr. Melisande Basset last Friday, indicating that both the Public Hospitals Authority and Ministry of Health officials “ambushed” the union at a meeting with the director of labour. 

Both Minister of Health Dr. Duane Sands and Mr. Pinder have since refuted such comments.