A Fairer, More Diverse and Inclusive Workforce

The PLP was created by and for workers; our foundation was laid by labour stalwarts of our past. The PLP and the country’s trade unions are critical parts of Bermuda’s labour movement. That fact demands that solidarity is maintained so that we can collectively advance the interests of working-class Bermudians. We are a labour party, and our roots demand that we are the political voice of labour, the guardian of labour rights in the legislature and the champion of the hard-working men and women that the unions represent.

Your next PLP Government will:

• Address the current structural imbalance of pension benefits that exists between guest workers and Bermudians by requiring equal treatment for Bermudian and expatriate labour. Currently, employers are not required by law to provide the same level of pension benefits to guest workers as they are to Bermudians, thus making it more expensive to employ Bermudians.
• In collaboration with the Bermuda Trade Union Congress, update labour legislation to ensure that labour disputes are handled more effectively and that labour rights are protected for all.
• Ensure that employment is created for those in our society who are deemed unemployable. We will jump-start social enterprises and promote social entrepreneurship to get our people back to work. We will make the required changes to laws to ensure that social enterprises become a reality within the first year of our term in office.
• Review the Employment Act to extend the allowance for paid maternity leave to 13 weeks and make allowances for paternity leave.
• Ensure fairness in our tax structure by performing a comprehensive examination of the social insurance programme to increase the take-home pay for low-income earners.
• Introduce legislation to provide for unemployment insurance, which will ensure that workers between jobs are not forced to go to the government for financial assistance.