Trade union members have been accused of padlocking the gates to the Nassau Yacht Club and locking its members inside.
The Nassau Institute, a Bahamian think-tank, has criticized government for failing to hold unions to the same accountability standards as the business community.
When the trapped members of the Yacht Club tried to take pictures to document the illegal imprisonment, union members reacted with threats of violence and later blocked the entrance to the club with their vehicles.
When similar activities occurred the following night police refused to issue citations or make arrests.
Although acknowledging that union members have a right to picket, the Nassau Institute reminded government that unions do not have the right to break the law.
A letter from the Nassau Institute says, “There is a sense in the (business) community that the government is only interested in enforcing the law as it relates to the business community and individuals, while ignoring the union’s lack of accountability to its own members and their willingness to break the law with impunity.”
The dispute between the Nassau Yacht Club and the Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) is now before the Industrial Tribunal, having been sparked when management at the not-for-profit club dismissed 11 of the 19 employees in a move to reduce operating expenses.
