President of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union Pat Bain refuted claims in the Bahama Journal’s Monday edition that the union is set to sign the long-disputed industrial agreement with the Bahamas Hotel Employer’s Association on Thursday.
The Journal reported that “Union President Pat Bain is expected to take details of the proposed contract to members Tuesday night for ratification and the government expects the long delayed agreement to be signed on Thursday.”
Although he remains optimistic about the way negotiations are moving, Mr. Bain told the Guardian on Monday that no contract signing date has been determined and the union will not take that position until it consults with its members tonight.
The meeting with union members he said, is not privy to the press.
“I saw the Bahama Journal and I don’t know about that because I haven’t talked to the members yet. No, I don’t know about a signing on Thursday. We haven’t planned a signing date yet,” said Mr. Bain.
“Things are as close, as that,” he said with a smile and with hands body width apart.
The Bahama Journal published that the union has agreed to accept a proposed 8 1/2 per cent increase plus two lump sum payments, one in the second year of the deal and one in the fourth year; as well as the hotel gratuity of 25 cents.
However, Mr. Bain said, “After we are finished talking with members we will let you know what we are doing. But before anything happens we will have to talk to the members first.”
Mr. Bain also highlighted that the union is ready to thrust itself back into its housing, computer training, education and foreign language programmes.
“We are getting ready to address the education for our members; so things always look good for the union…. even in rainy weather,” he said.
Minister of Labour and Immigration Vincent Peet remained tightlipped when The Guardian spoke to him regarding
“I am very hopeful that we would in fact make further movement next week and that we would, in short order, bring these negotiations to a successful completion. I know exactly what I am trying to say without causing the negotiations to fall apart,” he said.
Remaining firm in his position to remain tightlipped about the negotiations despite the pressure from the press, Minister Peet said, “Hear me out, I have been at this for two months now and I can’t afford to have things fall apart and start from scratch. I am hopeful we will be able to conclude it shortly. I think if I go beyond that, I’ll get in trouble with the fellas I am negotiating with,” he said.
It has been a grueling 16-month-long battle for the union and the association as they both strived to reach an agreement which both parties and the employees involved could swallow.
The situation lay dormant until a demonstration by Atlantis in late November 2003, brought the issue to light that the current industrial agreement had expired since January 2003.
Since that demonstration, the union workers took a strike vote on Dec. 4 and subsequently staged a go-slow at several of the leading hotels during the state visit of South African President Thabo Mbeki just before the new year.
The impasse between the hotel union and the association also forced an intervention by Prime Minister Perry Christie along with Minister Peet.
Last week, however, after intense negotiations, union president Pat Bain expressed pleasure at the movement taking place at the negotiation table with the Bahamas Hotel Employers Association (BHEA).
In a statement issued by the union, he said that BHCAWU remains firm in its mandate to pursue an acceptable increase in wages for its seven thousand-plus members.
“We can now see some light at the end of the tunnel and this an encouraging sign for our members. Our focus is to remain at the bargaining table and continue with the process as long as these signs of encouragement continue,” he said.
By Vanessa Rolle, The Nassau Guardian
