Elgin Douglas, president of the Bahamas Commercial Stores Supermarkets and Warehouse Workers Union, called for a national boycott of all Super Value food stores yesterday. He said the union had “reached its limits” intrying to negotiate with the foodstore chain.
This latest action taken by the BCSSWWU comes as the result of Rupert Roberts, president of all the Super value food chain allegedly failing to attend a meeting arranged by the Labour Department for Monday, November 8.
At a press conference held yesterday, Mr. Douglas said that Mr. Roberts did not attend the meeting on Monday, instead he sent a representative who could not help in the industrial negotiations.
The union claimed that the food store chain is defying the laws of the Bahamas by working its employees over 40 hours a week, not paying the workers for the overtime hours worked, and by abusing the workers’ rights by not allowing them to join a union of their choice.
The BCSSWWU is asking for all of the National Congress of Trade Unions (NCTU) affiliates, and the general public to not shop at any Super value store until Mr. Roberts sits down at the bargaining table on behalf of his workers.
Source: Paul Turnquest, The Tribune
