Members of the Bahamas Commercial Supermarkets and Warehouse Workers Union (BCSWWU) are threatening to return to the picket line following a number of "unfair" labour issues with City Markets Ltd.
Union members and their affiliates pounded the pavements alongside many of the company's employees in July after rejecting City Market's offer of a "three or four cent" increase in salary over five years. According to BCSWWU president, Elgin Douglas, the union initially requested a 15 percent increase in salary, however this was rejected "outright by management."
City Market employees subsequently returned to work August 3 following an agreement with management to continue negotiations in the meantime. Since the agreement, Mr. Douglas said a number of issues have surfaced including the "unfair" dismissal by City Market of Ms. Donna Moss.
"As far as we are concerned, City Market's decision to fire Ms. Moss was simply a vendetta against the union," Mr. Douglas told the Bahama Journal Thursday. "They are not acting in good faith and as such I have placed my workers on alert to be prepared to return to the picket line with regards to this matter (and others) if these issues are not resolved within reasonable time."
Mr. Douglas, speaking at a press conference at Worker's House Thursday, claimed that Ms. Moss, a produce manager at City Markets, Oakes Field was dismissed Monday after it was discovered that she had eaten a pack of cream crackers.
According to the union president, on Monday Mr. Lynden Hepburn, the company's district manager came into the Produce Department and asked Ms. Moss who was eating the crackers. After admitting that she was, Mr. Hepburn instructed the produce manager to punch out and proceed to the company's Head Office at 4pm without verifying whether or not she had paid for the item.
Of course, who paid for the item is irrelevant. Sitting around snacking, when you are supposed to be working, would be against the rules in any company. It is understood that even at Union headquarters such activity would be unacceptable.
But that didn't stop Mr. Douglas from making this comment, "In our opinion this is blatant form of injustice," said Mr. Douglas. "If she were to have stolen the item then this course of action may have been fine, but why dismiss someone who has worked for the company some 12 years for simply eating a pack of crackers."
Based on industrial practice, management should have at least given the worker one oral warning followed by three additional warnings and then based on the circumstances surrounding that case, the employee can be dismissed. But how can you put a mother with children on the streets without even asking if the item was paid for, and if not, pay for it."
Mr. Douglas is implying that if the employee had stolen the item, the correct course of action would have been for the manager to pay for the item and just forget the incident.
This is obviously why Mr. Douglas runs a Union and not a profit making company. Hmmm! With that kind of business logic perhaps we should take a look at the Union's books, if they are ever even shown to Union members.
The union president added that in reality, Ms. Moss' dismissal was simply another stab at busting the 200 strong union.
"I understand that Mr. Hepburn has difficulty with any worker who is a member of the union, and Ms. Moss was a very strong union member, very vocal," Mr. Douglas said. "He said he would try to get rid of all of them. But no one belonging to any type of union should be victimized in this form or fashion."
On this note, Mr. Douglas said the union is also seeking the removal of Mr. Hepburn who is evidently not willing to work amicable with union members and practices.
This outrageous request would have the Union telling the Company who to hire and who to fire. Clearly Mr. Douglas' inexperience precludes him from understanding the basics of business management and ownership. If he and the Union were to purchase controlling interest in the Company, they could then make such demands.
"From 1995 we were in dispute with City Markets Ltd. and since this time we have also faced problems with Mr. Hepburn," the union president said. "Even when the union first began, Mr. Hepburn would park outside our building just to see who was interested and then relay the information to the manager.
With an industrial agreement still unsigned, Mr. Douglas said the union has even more reason to strike. However, he invited the public to also get involved.
"I am asking the Minister of Labour, Mr. Vincent Peet to intervene in this matter," he said. "We are also inviting all members of the National Congress of Trade Unions, members of the Bahamas Hotel Catering & Allied Workers Union, church leaders and others to ban with us against this company. Today for you, tomorrow for me.
"If this company wishes to work with us we will, but they have refused to act in good faith. Instead, they are acting in a very, very poor manner."
Mr. Douglas added that BCSWWU is prepared to fight until the end.
"We will take this wherever we possibly have to, even if this means going all the way to the Privy Council," said the union president. "We cannot allow City Markets to continue with this type of unfair behavior."
Hopefully, the Union will not force City Markets to close their stores and abandon The Bahamas. That situation would clearly be to the consumer's disadvantage and we could thank the Union for the lack of choices in purchasing food items.
