Though Labour Minister Vincent Peet has cut to the heart of current industrial unrest by sending union members a no-nonsense warning, the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union is threatening to up the stakes in stalled negotiations with the Bahamas Electricity Corp.
BEWU president Dennis Williams told The Guardian Tuesday that it will head to the labour board next week, but he said if the corporation continues a take-it-or-leave-it position, there could be a strike.
“If BEC does not change its hard-line position, we will seek to have a strike vote as soon as possible,” he said.
Last Monday, Mr. Williams reported that talks between BEWU and BEC management had reached a stalemate.
“We will not be negotiating with the managers of BEC any more because of their refusal to negotiate in good faith. We will take the matter to the labour board and to the relevant government authorities higher than them. We have exhausted our negotiations with management,” Mr. Williams said.
“The reason for us taking the matter to the labour board is to have the matter conciliated and resolved. If the matter is not resolved it may lead to a strike vote. But it is not our intention to seek a strike vote, but if the matter is not resolved in a certain amount of time it may lead to a strike vote,” he said.
In his address to the 48th PLP convention on Monday night, Mr. Peet said it was convention week and some workers had decided to make a statement. But he said no one is above the law and any illegal act would have repercussions.
He said the PLP was a worker-friendly government and employees should not abuse that friendship.
“Before May 2, 2002, the former prime mnister had no respect for union leaders and the union leaders had no respect for him. And so there was constant industrial unrest. But now, as we transform our Bahamas, we have a prime minister and a minister of labour who respect labour leaders in this country and who receive the respect from them in return.
“As a result of an interventionist government, we have reduced industrial unrest in The Bahamas, and even when disputes arise, they are dealt with quickly and resolutely.”
BEWU and its consultants have been negotiating with BEC for more than four months for a new industrial agreement, but to no avail. Mr. Williams said after receiving the corporation’s offer on Oct. 15, “it was evident that BEC was not prepared to negotiate in good faith as it was not offering anything tangible that would benefit any employee at BEC, but had sought to present terms and conditions that would be detrimental to all workers in the bargaining unit.”
Prior to stalled negotiations, both parties had reached the point where the issue of salary increases was being addressed.
Mr. Williams said on Thursday that his members should be given reasonable increases because they perform “hazardous work.”
“I put it to the public that more people have been shocked and burnt with transformer oil in BEC than police have been shot. The occupational hazard is greater,” Mr. Williams said.
Mr. Williams told The Guardian there were several contentious issues hindering the negotiation process. He pointed to a merit-pay scheme the corporation was attempting to place in the agreement.
“Management is trying to formulate a programme that they call a high performance, appraisal and merit pay system where they are trying to equate a pay increase to work output. Right now they are trying to unilaterally push a merit-pay system down the members’ throat and right now we find that totally unacceptable,” Mr. Williams said.
Another contentious issue, Mr. Williams is the “inadequate pension plan” BEC offers employees.
A planned equipment-commissioning ceremony to be held by the Corp. today, will be boycotted by the hundreds of union members.
“The union has asked all of its members to show solidarity and not to attend because it will be an indication if you attend that you are pleased with some of the executives of BEC ‘right-wing mentality’ in dealing with industrial relation matters at BEC,” Mr. Williams said.
By Keva Lightbourne, The Nassau Guardian
