Sources told the Guardian that both parties are slated to meet with the Minister today, to continue talks.
Meanwhile, the BHEA issued a statement on Sunday in which President J. Barrie Farrington said that the union is being unreasonable in asking for lump sum payment as well as increases in gratuities which is in excess of 40 per cent.
This he said, is the root cause for the stalemate between both parties.
The Guardian attempted to contact Pat Bain several times on Sunday but were unsuccessful.
The BHEA has submitted its final submission to the union which outlines the Association’s best offer which indicates specific terms and condition as it relates to a new settlement proposed to benefit employees financially and socially.
“It is astounding that even at this critical moment the Union has failed to acknowledge publicly, in any meaningful way, the fact that our industry is already a very high cost destination and that it is unacceptable to keep on adding cost on top of cost to our customers,” Mr. Farrington said.
“The union does not recognize the fact that it is in fact necessary that our industry earns a reasonable profit so that our shareholders will have an incentive to continue reinvesting in the industry in order to keep us competitive with other resort destination, many of which are actually decreasing their pricing to attract customers and not increasing prices,” he said.
The threat of a strike is damaging to the reputation of The Bahamas he said. Adding that the proposal submitted to the union is the best offer the association can give.
“If the union believes that industrial action is the path to a better offer, they are wrong and we will all pay a heavy price for it,” Mr. Farrington said.
“The Association and the rest of the country have grown tired of these constant threats. We’ve all seen the dark clouds of a strike build on the horizon for some time, but now the union and the country will have to wait to witness how much damage will result and for how long. There is no doubt that the union’s inflexibility on critical issues is what has brought our country to this point of no return. They have disregarded the immense, long tern economic harm that could come to our country, which is so heavily dependent on tourism,” he said.
By Vanessa Rolle, The Nassau Guardian
