Trade unionists are still pushing the government to enact the International Labour Organization Convention 87, which would enable workers to join the union of their choice as opposed to being restricted to the union of their craft.
But they have recognized that there are many issues that must first be addressed before changes are made to labour laws, like how to secure contracts to negotiate on behalf of workers who have joined unions that are unrelated to their fields.
Itﾴs a point made on Monday by President of The National Congress of Trade Unions Pat Bain who said this could be a significant challenge as it could create complications.
Union leaders have been lobbying for the enactment of Convention 87 since the Free National Movement Government had it ratified in 2001.
On Monday, Minister of Labour Vincent Peet told union leaders at a workshop held at Workers House on Harrold Road that the government was seeking to get their views on how best to go about creating the new approach to unionization.
ﾓThis is really a workshop to hear from you, so you could guide the government as we move forward in this process to implement Convention 87,ﾒ Minister Peet said.
He explained that the government hopes to reach consensus with trade union leaders on what aspects of Convention 87 should be enacted and whether the enactment should be done in phases. The Minister pointed out that there needed to be great deliberation on what the implications would be for workers.
Without giving a timeframe on when the proposed legislation would be brought to parliament, Minister Peet said the discussions with trade unionists will guide the government in its decision as it relates to ILO 87.
ﾓI know there have been some union individuals who have been fully in support of Convention 87 going through as is and as President Bain has said, there are some who clearly need further clarification, some smaller unions, who need to be satisfied of the possible implications of a Convention 87,ﾒ Minister Peet said.
He added that the government does not want to ﾓblindlyﾒ enact the convention.
ﾓIt also calls for us to look at what happened in Barbados and in Jamaica where Convention 87 was ratified from the early 60ﾴs, but all of the provisions are still not put into laws in those country,ﾒ the Minister said.
ﾓWe have to ask the question why and see why it is that certain progressive Caribbean countries who we benchmark our laws after have not gone as far as some would want us to go at this point.ﾒ
Mr. Bain said the Convention is fundamentally important to the growth of trade unions in The Bahamas.
ﾓThere are a number of employees in the country that are unable to join a union or have a union for their particular industry,ﾒ he noted, pointing out that only 23 percent of the nationﾴs 167,000 workers are unionized.
Mr. Bain said enacting Convention 87 could have specific benefits for smaller unions.
ﾓThis also brings about the possibility of amalgamation of smaller unions so that those unions could have a better voice within the industry,ﾒ he said.
In order to make the convention law, he said parliament would have to make changes to the Industrial Relations Act.
President of The Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union Robert Farquharson said it is crucial for workers to have the right to join the union of their choice.
ﾓIt is very important to have this implemented because when we speak as an organization we have to speak with one voice as a labour movement and the NCTU and the [Trade Union Congress] have the same stance,ﾒ he said.
ﾓThe government must implement the provisions of ILO 87 into the laws because we feel strongly that after this is done then the vast majority of workers that are un-unionized would have the opportunity to join a union and would have the trade union to organize and improve their terms and conditions of employment.ﾒ
Huedley Moss, president of The Bahamas Utilities Services and Allied Workers Union, also wholeheartedly supports integrating Convention 87 into labour laws.
ﾓIf I am in a particular union, I am basically stuck by craft,ﾒ Mr. Moss said. ﾓThis is wrong because what we are currently doing is not allowing any choices for union members. For us to deny workers the right to join the union of their choice we are doing them grave injustice.ﾒ
He explained that union members are sometimes forced to be a part of a union where the president may not be as effective as another union president and is therefore unable to have problems resolved.
With the implementation of Convention 87 there would no longer be that restraint,ﾒ he said
Bianca Symonette, The Bahama Journal
