A lingering dispute between The Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) and the Bahamas Electricity Corporation erupted into a demonstration in Rawson Square yesterday.
Scores of union members marched downtown from Over-the-Hill for the demonstration planned to coincide with the meeting of the House of Assembly.
Police officers forced them behind barricades as they became rowdy as Ministers pulled up.
Many of the demonstrators booed Ministers, saying that they are extremely disappointed in the performance of the government.
The noisy group shouted at times, “We want Hubert!” and “No more promises!”
They were calling for former Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham.
The protest came one day after union members walked off the job at Baillou Hill Road in what management termed an illegal protest.
BEWU officials continue to demand that the government move speedily to address their industrial issues, which include disagreement over a merit pay system. The contract BEWU signed with management last year provided for such a payment arrangement, but the two have failed to see eye to eye on the formula to activate it.
The union is also demanding that the workersﾒ pension plan be improved and is demanding that BEC bring working hours in line with the Employment Act.
The placard-toting workers were led by BEWU President Dennis Williams, who said the workers have had enough.
“Theyﾒre tired of being trampled upon,” Mr. Williams said. “Theyﾒre tired of being taken for granted and these people out here today are very level headed people. Theyﾒre tired of broken promisesﾅThey will not be moved. Every time when parliament reconvenes, if we have to come here until these matters are resolved, we would do it. We would have to take the necessary action in BEC.”
The BEC protest was taking place as members of the Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU) were also staging a demonstration in Rawson Square.
Mr. Williams said the BEWU was receiving support in its actions from the BPSU.
“Weﾒre tired of the foolishness,” he said.
During the demonstration, Labour Minister Vincet Peet spoke briefly with Mr. Williams and told him that he would meet with him yesterday afternoon.
Prior to that meeting, Mr. Williams said, “We would hope that in this meeting today we could resolve this matter once and for all so that the union could go back to doing what it is supposed to be doing as a part of civil society and we as employees of BEC can go back and offer service to the corporation.
“But again, I would say strongly that if we donﾒt come to an agreement, the members have already decided what they have to do. They will not be held hostage.”
Minister Peet rushed into the House of Assembly without talking to reporters.
Mr. Williams, however, said, “I told the Minister in all my fury that we were fed up with the process in BEC and with the government. Every time we come to agreement with something, they breach it. We are tired of it. We are tired of all the promises.”
He claimed that BEC and the government continue to break promises.
“He said he would meet with us, but I am telling you that weﾒre not going to meet with anyone unless we can write down and sign off on agreements,” Mr. Williams said.
“You must understand that BECﾒs management just gave themselves a 10 and a half percent salary increase. Their salaries are now in the $100,000 bracket. We are the people who are the working class. Every time the rich gets richer, the poor gets poorer. It is [sickening] and I am sick of it.”
He claimed that “every” member of the BEWU in New Providence participated in the demonstration and said that in the Family Islands, members were participating in sit-ins.
“We are here to work with the government and the board of BEC, but if theyﾒre not working in good faith, then good faith is taken away altogether,” Mr. Williams said.
The demonstration took place several weeks after Minister Peet said that the BEC dispute was now a non-issue because it had been resolved.
But Mr. Williams indicated that the dispute appears far from resolved.
Stephen Gay, The Bahama Journal
