About 20 members of the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union verbally attacked and threatened a Journal reporter and photographer who showed up to the BEC headquarters at different points Tuesday afternoon to cover the ongoing industrial dispute.
The workers told the photographer that the Journal and sister company Love 97 news were not welcome at the corporationﾴs headquarters.
When the Journal photographer asked BEWU President Dennis Williams about the press conference, he responded, “The members have spoken,” indicating that the photographer should leave the premises forthwith.
The attack came shortly after Love 97 news reported that BEC’s management was concerned that some union workers had been involved in acts of sabotage.
The Journal also reported Tuesday that BEC lost $100 million last year reportedly because of theft and meter tampering.
But the union members did not take kindly to such reports.
Shouting profanities, they chased the photographer out of the yard.
The reporter said, “I had to endure this verbal abuse for half an hour. I’ve been in this profession for nine years now and have covered many industrial matters, but not once has my life been threatened.”
She said the workers threatened to abuse her physically.
“As soon as they saw the Love 97 microphone, they began shouting profanities, demanding that I leave the premises.”
These actions came a day after Works and Utilities Minister Bradley Roberts said executives of the union may have inadvertently promoted lawlessness in their ongoing dispute with BEC’s management.
Minister Roberts said in a media release Monday evening that the union’s negotiator and advisor as well as the president neglected to follow the grievance procedures outlined in the agreement between the union and the corporation.
He added, “They have also neglected to file an industrial dispute with the Ministry of Labour and Immigration as they declared that the legal processes of the courts were too slow.”
Minister Roberts said it is most regrettable that the union has chosen to adopt a course of action which in itself is illegal to bring pressure to bear on management, the board of directors and the government.
“The events currently taking place represents a significant threat to the economy of the Bahamas and is certainly not in the best interest of our country, the trade union movement, BEC employees and the corporation.”
He urged the union president, Dennis Williams, other executives and members to immediately return to work so that all sides may move to amicably settle outstanding issues.
On Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Williams announced to reporters outside the corporation’s headquarters on Tucker Road that all workers have returned to work.
The matter flared up last Friday when union members stormed the building, claiming that management was preparing to discipline Mr. Williams.
But BEC executives said they had summoned the president to a meeting to ask him to refrain from making inflammatory statements in the press.
The union is demanding the reinstatement of Timothy Moore, the president of the corporation’s manager’s union who was terminated last summer. But he still remains on BEC’s payroll.
They are also demanding the immediate termination of BEC’s Chairman Al Jarrett and they are pushing for the conclusion of a new industrial contract.
Minister Roberts said the request to terminate Mr. Jarrett was denied because there was no evidence that the Chairman acted improperly.
“The requirement for the Government to even consider such a demand needs to be substantive,” he said.
Mr. Roberts also said that the Attorney General’s Office assured the corporation’s managers that they were within their rights to fire Mr. Moore from his position as training officer.
“The [National Congress of Trade Unions] representatives and Mr. Moore’s personal representative, Reginald Forbes, reviewed the advice of the Attorney General’s Office,” he said. “They disagreed with the advice.”
Minister Roberts also revealed in his press release that Labour Minister Vincent Peet had agreed to have negotiations for a new contract concluded on or before February 19, 2004.
The union is reportedly demanding a contract that would amount to $26 million in salary increases over five years. BEC is offering increases that would total $16 million as well as the institution of a merit pay system in the third year of the contract.
The system would provide for salary increases for employees ranging from 3 percent to 8 percent depending on the productivity level of each worker.
The Bahama Journal
