Workers have walked away from Atlantis' third phase construction site in protest at what they describe as "inhumane" and racist treatment at the hands of their Bakers Construction bosses.

"We have some people, South African, Canadian, American, all over the States coming here and they laugh in our face and say, 'We're in your country and we're making $20, how much are you making? Oh, $10'. Tell me what's wrong with that picture," said Hanna.

Foreign workers have confirmed this discrepancy, Hanna claimed, and that many of them are working without permits.

Within the government, claim the men, the favouring of the interests of companies involved in work in the resort has allowed such discrepancies to continue and, furthermore, for work permits to go unchecked. "Nobody's checking for it," he said.

Though bringing in foreigners and paying them more for similar work would appear to make poor business sense, some of the men claim the "bias" is fuelled by racism. "They give these people all the contracts, they don't employ one Bahamian - or they'll probably hire one or two of them to say 'Hey, we put those people there'. as a token gesture," said Hanna.

"This is sickening me, what's happening in this country - whether you're FNM or PLP, stop putting your hand under the table," he said. (http://www.bahamasb2b.com/news/wmview.php?ArtID=9216)

Um, who is Bakers Construction? And if this is a construction company contracted by Atlantis, what does this story have to do with Atlantis?

Seems to me the problem the workers have should be with the construction company they work for. Atlantis dont have nothing to do with how that company pays its people. Atlantis pays the company..the company in turn, pays its people.

Um, who is Bakers Construction? And if this is a construction company contracted by Atlantis, what does this story have to do with Atlantis?
Seems to me the problem the workers have should be with the construction company they work for. Atlantis dont have nothing to do with how that company pays its people. Atlantis pays the company..the company in turn, pays its people.

never said that it did...but while were at it... it does impede progress cus without the workers of the construction company finishing the projct...Atlantis wont get finished so somebody needs to step it and put these people payments on par and sorts this out...perception is reality...these people have deadlines...they need to get on the ball...

never said that it did...but while were at it... it does impede progress cus without the workers of the construction company finishing the projct...Atlantis wont get finished so somebody needs to step it and put these people payments on par and sorts this out...perception is reality...these people have deadlines...they need to get on the ball...

No I'm not saying you said that, I'm talking about how the story was worded. And I agree, the last thing the industry needs in more delays. Our numbers this year are down as it is.

I thought Burma Road fixed this......anyway.

It depends on how skilled these people are though in my opinion. Someone with basic technical experience out of some program lasting a few months would not get a higher salary over a person who has more training and has been doing the job for over a decade...foreign or not. One of the workers was saying that because these people have families and such and because of their stauts, they get room and board...something like that.

I thought Burma Road fixed this......anyway.
It depends on how skilled these people are though in my opinion. Someone with basic technical experience out of some program lasting a few months would not get a higher salary over a person who has more training and has been doing the job for over a decade...foreign or not. One of the workers was saying that because these people have families and such and because of their stauts, they get room and board...something like that.


You have a point there. But who are the ones doing all the work:(

It depends on how skilled these people are though in my opinion. Someone with basic technical experience out of some program lasting a few months would not get a higher salary over a person who has more training and has been doing the job for over a decade...foreign or not.
While we do know of gross issues where Bahamians are not being treated fairly, you do have a point here as well. I recall a Bahamian construction worker on the Atlantis site who was making similar complaints about Bahamians not making any money there (never mind the fact he had just bought a Cable Beach condo before making that complaint!)

But the issue of skills training is one we like to overlook sometimes in arguments such as these.

This is a serious issue. Our Bahamian workers need someone to stand up for them.

For real I was told by one of the foreign company that our politicans do not care because they always coming around demanding money for small favours and in the process Bahamians suffer.

Truth, that immigration is our biggest problem.

We have a big problem and I feel it will spill out soon like the Burma Road Riots.

Where is my FNM party to stand up for thses people, the PLP cannot do it cause they are the ones collecting the bg pay offs.

I thought Burma Road fixed this......anyway.
It depends on how skilled these people are though in my opinion. Someone with basic technical experience out of some program lasting a few months would not get a higher salary over a person who has more training and has been doing the job for over a decade...foreign or not. One of the workers was saying that because these people have families and such and because of their stauts, they get room and board...something like that.
You a Freeport boy........remember when they were building Our Lucaya? It languashed fa years,until they brought in a foreign workforce,then suddenly it started to really progress! I remember when they shut down the old casino,erryone said "it will be open in 6 months."lol Sometimes we need to "get with it.":rolleyes:

I mean really though have you looked at some construction sites lately......like Shirley street and Blue Hill road....both public projects I might add. The Bahamians are standing around, watching the foreigner that has to almost direct the entire show. If a Bahamian was qualified enough, wouldn't that Bahamian be directing where to put what and how high?

We have to ask ourselves a hard bunch of questions: Why would an employer hire a foreigner over a Bahamian? Why would he go to the huge trouble and expense of getting permits? Why would he pay the foreign more, often twice as much? Why would he proved housing for that foreign worker when the Bahamian worker lives here?

Why would a sound, smart employer got to all that trouble and expense? The conclusion must be, it is worth it. Dollar for dollar, the foreigner works faster, better, comes to work on time, leaves on time - not before - and perhaps, dare I say it? Steals less? Theft on the construction site, or anywhere Bahamians are employed is epidemic!! I am not the first to say that. It is common knowledge.

We have to “pull or socks up” if we want to be competitive as workers or the foreigner will best us each and every time.

i told you guys this long time ago, atlantis has a free pass on anyone they want to hire (ocean club is a prime example) .. and its not just racism, they (and not just Atlantis) will take a Foreignor's word over any Bahamians .. and this is wrong .. i ditched a big client because of this, she was hiring a Cuban American from Miami to do some stuff that could have been done by Bahamians, carpentry stuff like that, i was mad as heck and then when she started buying crappy $2000 LCDs from them (which she could have got right here in Nassau for cheaper - no I dont sell what she wanted but many others do) I was like to heck with it ... go let him do all your alarm and CCTV work also and when you need a service call .. Good luck with that .. and ive heard all they have had are problems so far.

CG .. it may be the case as you say in some instances, but in reality, most of the foriegnors they hire are crackheads, alchies, some even criminals, that are brought down here on a free airfare, put up for free, eat for free, get paid a bunch of money, and dont even need to buy their own tools ... they can say all they want and in some cases it maybe true, but to say a foriegnor is faster and better is all caca in reality ... you get what you pay for.

PS. I was flown by a US company to the west coast to do a service call for 2 days .. cause they needed a pro ... if a huge american company can take the word of a Bahamian but a Bahamian cant ... welll.

Pay a Bahamian the same you are paying a foreignor, and you will get the same or better work quality from that Bahamian over the foreignor. Treat people like crap and they'll work like that ..

....CG .. it may be the case as you say in some instances, but in reality, most of the foriegnors they hire are crackheads, alchies, some even criminals, that are brought down here on a free airfare, put up for free, eat for free, get paid a bunch of money, and dont even need to buy their own tools ... they can say all they want and in some cases it maybe true, but to say a foriegnor is faster and better is all caca in reality ... you get what you pay for.....


If this was so, why would employers bother to hire them? By the way the "free" you speak of is free to the worker but not the employer. He must be getting value for money or he would stop doing it! "You get what you pay for" is true. So they must be getting what they pay for because this has been going on for years!

If this was so, why would employers bother to hire them? By the way the "free" you speak of is free to the worker but not the employer. He must be getting value for money or he would stop doing it!


The employer is stupid, prejudiced, against local workers.
They could care less about the quality of work once its not a Bahamian doing it ...

Do you think they are going to pay a Bahamian the same they are paying that foreignor? If you hire joe blow at $1000 a week then he is going to do $1000 work quality, while john henry is getting $300 a week, he will do $300 work quality ..You get what you pay for .. If they never give a Bahamian the chance then they will never know any different.

Also, i do have alot of inside knowledge on this .. from all aspects, I even know of a Bahamian that was working in the US and was brought back here to work on PI, put up with free room and board on PI, for years, simply because he was then an American to them.. its a sad day when to get a good job in this country in some industries you have to leave your own country and come back as a foriegnor.

And BTW the Bahamian Government does the same thing ...
They hire Foriegnors over Bahamians while there are many capable Bahamians to do the same exact thing .. and we are paying for that.