Members of the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union will get a $2,500 lump sum payment within seven days now that the BEWU and the Bahamas Electricity Corporation have signed a supplemental agreement bringing a formal end to a dispute that had dragged on for months.
The contract signing took place at the Ministry of Labour on Monday afternoon.
Minister of Labour Vincent Peet announced that clerical computer operators and technicians, office staff, supervisors and managers group one and two will receive a 2.5 percent salary increase effective May 1, 2006.
Labour trade and craft groups three and eight will receive a three percent salary increase effective May 1, 2006.
Supervisor and manager of labour trade and craft groups one to three will receive a 3.5 percent salary increase effective May 1, 2006.
As he did when the corporation and the union signed their main contract in 2004, Minister Peet urged them to move forward in harmony.
It came after industrial tension threatened to derail operations at BEC with the union staging work to rule at one point.
“We’re all hopeful now that the atmosphere will certainly improve at BEC,” Minister Peet said.
“I’m sure the chairman, general manager and the president [of the BEWU] and his team will do all that they can to maintain this level of civility and this level of cooperation that we now have. I think they all know that the general public will not tolerate this Christmas any interruption of service for any reason, unless it is technical or unless it is an act of God.”
BEWU President Dennis Williams said he was pleased with the agreement.
“It is always good when members of your bargaining unit could increase their economic power through salary increases and other benefits,” Mr. Williams said.
“I can truly say that we are happy to resolve this matter in this manner. I say hats off, not really to the officers of the union, but hats off to the members of the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union.”
BEC General Manager Kevin Basden said, “We are here to work in harmony with the union and the employees. It is our view that we can use this occasion as a spring board as we move forward to build the corporation and the country.”
He added, “At the end of the day we all recognize that BEC is about service. It’s a government corporation.”
Minister Peet said there will be a formal withdrawal of the BEC dispute which he forwarded to the Industrial Tribunal several weeks ago.
Management and union executives also agreed to work in harmony to resolve other outstanding issues at the corporation and they said this time they would try to do that in-house and not in the press.
Mr. Williams said he hopes to be out of the headlines for some time to come.
By: Candia Dames, The Bahama Journal
