The Bahamas Hotel Managerial Union is vowing to take dramatic industrial action to force the signing of a collective bargaining agreement for over 200 middle managers and supervisors of the government owned Radisson Resort.
But hotel executives tempered their threat on Monday by adding that the action will be “appropriate.”
For over seven years, the association has been trying to secure the signatures of the Hotel Corporation of the Bahamas that runs the hotel and the Myers Group, which manages it.
On Monday, association president Obie Ferguson, who also heads the umbrella Trade Union Congress, called for all of the TUC’s affiliate unions to support the Radisson workers.
“I want to put all of the Trade Union Congress affiliates on notice that if the government doesn’t have the will or the tenacity to deal with George Myers then we have to rise up to the occasion and deal with [Mr. Myers] because if the government can’t do it we have a commitment to the Bahamian people,” said Mr. Ferguson.
According to Mr. Ferguson, BHMA leaders believe Mr. Myers is primarily responsible for the stalled talks.
Negotiations for the new agreement started seven years ago, with planned signings aborted twice in the past two weeks.
The union leaders allege that Mr. Myers is reluctant to sign the agreement because he fears that provisions in the new contract, like an employee pension plan and paid leave, would cut into the management fees he earns from the Radisson.
“Mr. Myers put to the Honourable Allyson Maynard-Gibson that he is concerned that signing the industrial agreement would directly affect the Myers Group’s financial expenditures,” Mr. Ferguson said.
There are reportedly concerns that the pension, medical and scholarship plans for Radisson workers and time off in lieu of pay would eat into the hotel’s annual gross operating profits and thus affect his incentive fee, which is four percent of the gross income.
Neither Mr. Myers, nor his attorneys returned press calls.
Last week, over 100 incensed Radisson supervisors called in sick, believed to be a union ploy to move the situation past its stalled stage.
Prime Minister Perry Christie has warned unions against irresponsible and illegal action that he said threatens the country’s economic livelihood.
In response, Mr. Ferguson blasted Mr. Myers for allegedly attempting to frustrate the union’s efforts.
“I heard the Prime Minister during his address, but the prime minister was very vague because he talked to us saying that trade unions should not do certain things, and I agree that trade unions shouldn’t break the law, but you have a man exercising union busting to the highest degree and the Cabinet of the Bahamas is capitulating,” he charged.
The Radisson predicament is not the only situation that Mr Ferguson believes is being frustrated. He is also pressing for the Bahamas Association of Casino Employees (BACE) to be recognised as the bargaining agent for casino workers at the Atlantis Paradise Island resort, a several year long battle.
Association president Tyrone Morris claimed Monday that after repeated attempts, Labour and Immigration Minister Vincent Peet finally agreed to a poll for the casino workers at Atlantis.
“[Mr. Peet’s] reason for being reluctant in doing what was promised by his government was that his government was afraid for him to make a determination on our application,” Mr. Morris charged. “The PLP government, according to Mr. Peet, was concerned of how our employer would respond to this action and whether Kerzner may pull out of further expansion. Mr. Peet finally agreed to give us the poll so that the result would be open for all to see.”
According to Mr. Morris, he later received a letter dated October 31st, 2003 stating that the Labour Minister would have the poll.
“As a result of this letter, I discussed with Mr. Harcourt Brown (Acting Director of Labour) a venue and date which were agreed to,” said Mr. Morris. “This information was then passed on to the employees at our casino. On Friday November 7th at about 11 pm, while at work, I was called in by my supervisor and given another letter from the minister informing me that the poll was put off.”
TUC, BHMA and BACE executives are meeting to determine their next strategic move.
They pointed out that they could begin to take “dramatic” action against the respective employers by as early as Tuesday.
By Darrin Culmer, The Bahama Journal
