BEC executives said Thursday that they were surprised that members of the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) plan to take a strike vote just two days before Christmas.
The union claims that hard line tactics by the corporation’s management and an unwillingness to negotiate in good faith left them with no other alternative.
Union executives, who are pushing for higher salaries and better benefits for their members, did not give specifics on exactly what they want.
In an official statement Thursday, BEWU Secretary General Patricia Johnson said that the union applied to the Minister of Labour and Immigration Vincent Peet for permission to take the strike vote on December 23.
Union officials declined to comment further on the matter, but Ms. Johnson said that over the past seven months, BEC’s management has had many opportunities to resolve its differences with the union at the negotiating table.
Kevin Basden, the corporation’s general manager designate, said in an interview with the Journal Thursday that management was also disappointed that the union is taking such a position because the offer on the table is very good and compares favourably to packages offered by other companies in the country.
“We are very surprised to hear that, considering the fact…workers have a good package at present…[and] we have a good offer on the table,” he said.
Mr. Basden added that the corporation could not justify the demands being made by the union.
“At the end of the day the corporation is owned by the people of The Bahamas,” he said. “It needs to be managed properly from a fical perspective and therefore as management we need to ensure that whatever we do is in the best interest of all the parties concerned.”
The corporation’s managers are also hoping that the conflict does not escalate to the point where service to thousands of consumers is in any way affected.
BEC Chairman Al Jarrett said that management made three different offers, all of which the union rejected. He said they were the best offers in the history of the corporation.
Mr. Jarrett also said that workers should improve their productivity before seeking to renegotiate their industrial agreement.
“If they could improve their productivity in BEC so that the profits could be where they should be then we could talk even further,” he said.
If the union gets permission to hold the strike vote, members in New Providence, Abaco, Eleuthera, Exuma, Andros, Bimini, Cat Island, Great Harbour Cay, Long Island and San Salvador will head to the polls on December 23.
Intensified negotiations have taken place between the BEWU and BEC’s management for the past seven months.
By Julian Reid, The Bahama Journal
