Hotel Union president, Pat Bain, said there has been no breakthrough in the 15-month negotiations, which was taken to Minister of Labour Vincent Peet, and then to Prime Minister Christie.
” I want to put the members on alert to prepare to strike,” said Mr. Bain. ” I’ll choose the date on that, but we just want them to know that in all talks that were being held with the prime minister, there does not appear to be any further movement by the parties.”
Prime Minister Christie met with both parties over the past three days.
The Guardian spoke with an executive member of the BHEA Wednesday evening, who did not wish to comment and was abrupt when asked for a contact for BHEA president Barrie Farrington: ” Mr. Farrington gone to bed,” he said.
“The only thing we will say to the Hotel Employers Association is that they have given a commitment to their employees that they hoped to have this matter resolved before the holiday and they’re holding them to that commitment; for them not to do so, then the members will have no other option but to conduct industrial action,” said Mr. Bain.
Jobs secure
“Our members are intractable in their position. They are looking and are anxious for a strike. Their jobs are secure. This will be a legalized industrial action. No employee shall be terminated if they participate in the strike or any industrial action. They can only be terminated if they participate in an illegal strike. This strike is legal and we have our certificate from the minister sanctioning the strike vote and the results,” he said.
There are 6,042 members in the union.
“It doesn’t matter how many members took the strike vote. Members have voted to strike and so therefore the matter is now in our hands. As they say, the rat race has begun,” said Mr. Bain.
He said that he can’t say whether members will strike indefinitely.
“Whatever we have to do, we will do until we bring resolution to this matter,” he said.
The Guardian attempted to contact Prime Minister Christie but up to press time was told by the Government Information Officer, Al Dillette, that he could not be reached as he was running a tight evening schedule.
However, Dilette said that a statement would be issued Thursday by the prime minister on this issue.
Negotiations with the union began in September 2002, with the hopes of reaching an amicable agreement by the time the current one expired in January 2003.
The 45-year-old union represents hotel workers from 11 properties in New Providence and Paradise Island.
The talks centered on a new contract, which the union presented to the association, seeking across-the-board salary increases for its members, the re-evaluation of gratuities, particularly for room attendants and wait staff, as well as other ancillary benefits.
Additionally, the union had requested a four-year industrial agreement, claiming that the five-year binding agreement proposed by the association is too long.
By Vanessa Rolle, the Nassau Guardian
