bahamiangoddess
02-24-08, - 11:59 PM
Morley lashes back at Douglas
By LISA S. KING
FN Asst. Editor
lisa@nasguard.com
Lionel Morley, second vice-president of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) fired back at General Secretary Leo Douglas yesterday, calling recent allegations made by the executive union officer baseless and untrue.
In Thursday's edition of The Freeport News, Douglas accuses Morley of mishandling union property and attempting to run the day to day operations of the BHCAWU Freeport office when he has no legal rights to do so.
Visibly displeased with comments made by Douglas, Morley is questioning how the General Secretary can say such things about his role at the Freeport office when he himself clearly stated last month that disputes in Grand Bahama are filed by Morley with Labour representatives on the affected employees' behalf.
Furthermore, Douglas told a reporter of this newspaper during an interview regarding a member that that all the matters for Freeport are handled by the Freeport office and Morley. "When myself and Mr. Colebroke arrive in Grand Bahama, we are updated on cases which have either been settled or are being evaluated for a decision," Douglas said.
According to the Constitution of the BHCAWU, the Second vice-president shall assist the president in the performance of his or her duties and in the absence of the First vice-president, shall perform the duties of that officer and assume his or her functions or powers.
Because of what the Constitution states, Morley says he is well within his right to do what he does within the Freeport office on a daily basis. In fact, he said much of what has been said by Douglas is untrue and that he is duty-bound to let the membership know that.
He disclosed that it is no secret that Douglas wants to assassinate his character and make others believe that he is a trouble maker when he is proud to be committed to serving the union and its members.
"Knowing the kind of person that Mr. Douglas is, a national flip-flopper, somebody who seem to know half truths sometimes and a little most of the time when it suits his purposes, I wanted to tell those who care about truth that it was Leo Douglas right after the election who decided that he was not going to support this administration and that he was going to do anything and everything disruptive and destructive to try and distract us from being successful. I was one of his targets at the beginning and I am no doubt his target again," Morley said.
"Because his motive and agenda is very clear and he is determined to cause dispersion and to create doubt, and destroy my credibility, I want to tell him that cannot happen and that will not happen. I am not painting a picture of being perfect, what I am saying is that in civil society, when something is done, it is done through the right channel."
Morley is convinced that because Douglas wants to have total control of all things in the union, he has even managed to put a 'spell' on some of the executives making them believe that he is doing things in the right way when he is not even consulting with other executive members about what he is doing.
"It seems now that he can come into this office sign documents, ostracize the officers of Freeport without any dialogue or consultation," Morley said. "There are many occasions where Mr. Douglas single-handedly came here and tried to ostracize and politically cannibalize us which is a great disservice to the rest of the members."
Morley says he wants Douglas to see what the constitution says about who is in charge. It states that the supreme authority of the union shall be vested in the Tri Annual General Meeting of members and subject to that authority, the union shall be governed by an Executive Council.
"We have set out from the very beginning to allow nothing to derail our efforts. Mr. Douglas have written numerous letters to other organizations on the island saying that all communication must now go through him," Morley said. "If that is the right procedure that was happening prior to the last election, why would he need to write a letter to incite them or to indicate to them to do it now."
"Douglas has infiltrated certain factions of the Executive Council," he said. "One cannot be responsible if he has no power. He has been doing everything conceivable to destroy my base, but I want him to know I am stronger than ever and for him to bring it on."
Accompanying Morley was BHCAWU Trustee Ian Neely, who was quick to point out that Douglas was wrong for making the comments when he knows that according to the union constitution, with Morley being the Second vice-president, in the absence of the president, is in charge of the Freeport office.
"I do not see why Mr. Douglas is saying that Mr. Morley does not have a right to do anything or make decisions on behalf of the union. That is totally wrong and it is not fair to Mr. Morley, " Neely said. "How is Mr. Morley expected to explain this to the members when decisions are being made from Nassau that affects the workers here in Grand Bahama. That is not right and it is not fair to the membership."
Neely said Douglas' comments are totally untrue because they make an assumption that Morley is being disobedient in carrying out the regulations of the union and that is not so because Morley is a loyal and honest executive officer of the union.
As a trustee, Neely said he is a custodian of the union with responsibility for the upkeep of union property including the hall, the union's assets and financial situations.
"I should know what is being spent or what is being purchased or what is being repaired and things like that," he said. "I have a right to know these things because money is being spent and I am not being told what it is going on."
The constitution states that a trustee shall be responsible for all the property, real estate, investments or funds of the union. They shall report any irregularities, deficiencies or abuse of the funds of the union to the Executive Council.
"How is it that I am seeing persons coming to the property doing work and other things and I have no clue of what is going on? Because everything is coming out of Nassau, they don't have respect for us to tell us what is going on," Neely said. "There is no communication . They are calling the office instead of the officers and the officers in charge of this office should know at all times what is going on."
By LISA S. KING
FN Asst. Editor
lisa@nasguard.com
Lionel Morley, second vice-president of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) fired back at General Secretary Leo Douglas yesterday, calling recent allegations made by the executive union officer baseless and untrue.
In Thursday's edition of The Freeport News, Douglas accuses Morley of mishandling union property and attempting to run the day to day operations of the BHCAWU Freeport office when he has no legal rights to do so.
Visibly displeased with comments made by Douglas, Morley is questioning how the General Secretary can say such things about his role at the Freeport office when he himself clearly stated last month that disputes in Grand Bahama are filed by Morley with Labour representatives on the affected employees' behalf.
Furthermore, Douglas told a reporter of this newspaper during an interview regarding a member that that all the matters for Freeport are handled by the Freeport office and Morley. "When myself and Mr. Colebroke arrive in Grand Bahama, we are updated on cases which have either been settled or are being evaluated for a decision," Douglas said.
According to the Constitution of the BHCAWU, the Second vice-president shall assist the president in the performance of his or her duties and in the absence of the First vice-president, shall perform the duties of that officer and assume his or her functions or powers.
Because of what the Constitution states, Morley says he is well within his right to do what he does within the Freeport office on a daily basis. In fact, he said much of what has been said by Douglas is untrue and that he is duty-bound to let the membership know that.
He disclosed that it is no secret that Douglas wants to assassinate his character and make others believe that he is a trouble maker when he is proud to be committed to serving the union and its members.
"Knowing the kind of person that Mr. Douglas is, a national flip-flopper, somebody who seem to know half truths sometimes and a little most of the time when it suits his purposes, I wanted to tell those who care about truth that it was Leo Douglas right after the election who decided that he was not going to support this administration and that he was going to do anything and everything disruptive and destructive to try and distract us from being successful. I was one of his targets at the beginning and I am no doubt his target again," Morley said.
"Because his motive and agenda is very clear and he is determined to cause dispersion and to create doubt, and destroy my credibility, I want to tell him that cannot happen and that will not happen. I am not painting a picture of being perfect, what I am saying is that in civil society, when something is done, it is done through the right channel."
Morley is convinced that because Douglas wants to have total control of all things in the union, he has even managed to put a 'spell' on some of the executives making them believe that he is doing things in the right way when he is not even consulting with other executive members about what he is doing.
"It seems now that he can come into this office sign documents, ostracize the officers of Freeport without any dialogue or consultation," Morley said. "There are many occasions where Mr. Douglas single-handedly came here and tried to ostracize and politically cannibalize us which is a great disservice to the rest of the members."
Morley says he wants Douglas to see what the constitution says about who is in charge. It states that the supreme authority of the union shall be vested in the Tri Annual General Meeting of members and subject to that authority, the union shall be governed by an Executive Council.
"We have set out from the very beginning to allow nothing to derail our efforts. Mr. Douglas have written numerous letters to other organizations on the island saying that all communication must now go through him," Morley said. "If that is the right procedure that was happening prior to the last election, why would he need to write a letter to incite them or to indicate to them to do it now."
"Douglas has infiltrated certain factions of the Executive Council," he said. "One cannot be responsible if he has no power. He has been doing everything conceivable to destroy my base, but I want him to know I am stronger than ever and for him to bring it on."
Accompanying Morley was BHCAWU Trustee Ian Neely, who was quick to point out that Douglas was wrong for making the comments when he knows that according to the union constitution, with Morley being the Second vice-president, in the absence of the president, is in charge of the Freeport office.
"I do not see why Mr. Douglas is saying that Mr. Morley does not have a right to do anything or make decisions on behalf of the union. That is totally wrong and it is not fair to Mr. Morley, " Neely said. "How is Mr. Morley expected to explain this to the members when decisions are being made from Nassau that affects the workers here in Grand Bahama. That is not right and it is not fair to the membership."
Neely said Douglas' comments are totally untrue because they make an assumption that Morley is being disobedient in carrying out the regulations of the union and that is not so because Morley is a loyal and honest executive officer of the union.
As a trustee, Neely said he is a custodian of the union with responsibility for the upkeep of union property including the hall, the union's assets and financial situations.
"I should know what is being spent or what is being purchased or what is being repaired and things like that," he said. "I have a right to know these things because money is being spent and I am not being told what it is going on."
The constitution states that a trustee shall be responsible for all the property, real estate, investments or funds of the union. They shall report any irregularities, deficiencies or abuse of the funds of the union to the Executive Council.
"How is it that I am seeing persons coming to the property doing work and other things and I have no clue of what is going on? Because everything is coming out of Nassau, they don't have respect for us to tell us what is going on," Neely said. "There is no communication . They are calling the office instead of the officers and the officers in charge of this office should know at all times what is going on."