President of the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union Dennis Williams announced on Wednesday that the BEWU has given management of the Bahamas Electricity Corporation until August 30 to resolve outstanding industrial issues or face industrial action.
Mr. Williams issued the threat during a press conference at Workers House.
“If the corporation continues to show disrespect to the union by not resolving these matters the union will have no other choice but to commence a series of the most aggressive industrial actions ever to be seen in order to bring BEC into realization that workers will not be disrespected and ill-treated by any person,” Mr. Williams said.
According to the union president, more than a year after the signing of an industrial agreement, the union has been involved in unnecessarily protracted talks with BEC’s management to resolve serious matters as it relates to working conditions and terms of employment of the workers.
Mr. Williams listed several issues of concern, including concerns relating to BEC’s pension plan; management’s alleged failure to comply with the Employment Act as it relates to working hours; grievances involving workers in the Family Islands; grievances of employees performing duties in a higher classification without pay or compensation; the alleged breach of the four-year contract signed last year; concerns regarding workers’ safety; and alleged victimization of Eleuthera employees.
“It must be clearly noted that none of these issues [is] new as both parties were commissioned by the Labour Department after April 2004 to constantly dialogue to solve these matters,” the union president said.
Mr. Williams described the union’s relationship with the present BEC management team led by its General Manager Kevin Basden as the worst in the history of BEC.
Mr. Basden did not return calls into these allegations made on Tuesday and Wednesday.
At his press conference, Mr. Williams claimed that BEC tends only to seriously address workers’ concerns when the union applies pressure.
“This is not responsible action on behalf of the corporation,” he said. “BEC [officials] from November 24, 2004 signed settlement forms at the Department of Labour to resolve all matters after admitting in the presence of the director of labour that they were at fault for the protracted times of most of the dispute resolutions.”
The BEWU president claimed that two weeks ago, the union and management at the negotiation table had reached a tentative settlement on certain matters, but when executive management confirmed in writing its position to the union it was “totally different”.
“The union would always recall that at various times in the history of BEC there has been the possibility of industrial unrest, but we wish to remind the public that the former leaders and executives of the corporation such as Peter Bethel had interpersonal skills to amicably settle disputes,” Mr. Williams said.
“The staff constantly refers to these days as the golden age of BEC.”
Early last year, amid growing industrial tension, the BEWU staged what management termed a wildcat strike and some of its members had even been accused of sabotage.
But after weeks of tedious negotiations, the two sides agreed to work toward fostering industrial harmony.
Labour Minister Vincent Peet has declined to comment on the latest unrest, saying only that he is working to try to resolve it.
Late yesterday, BEC General Manager Kevin Basden confirmed that talks with the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union have been ongoing and that every effort is being made for the continuation of that dialogue.
He said in a release that he wanted to assure all BEC customers that management is working diligently to resolve all outstanding issues and bring closure to these matters.
Mr. Basden also said he remains encouraged by the negotiations and believes that a positive outcome is at hand for all concerned.
The general manager also stated that due to the nature of the discussions, management would prefer not to make any further comments at this time so as not to prejudice the negotiations.
By: Stephen Gay, The Bahama Journal
