A rift has developed between leaders of the Bahamas Utilities Services and Allied Workers Union and its rank and file members.
Scores of angry BUSAWU members lodged a complaint yesterday with the Department of Labour seeking its intervention in a matter related to the promotion of persons to the union hierarchy without elections being held.
Reportedly, BUSAWU president Carmen Kemp promoted Tabitha Davis (a former Trustee) and Brenda Basden to the positions of Secretary General and Assistant Treasurer respectively, without conducting elections.
Both posts became vacant about five months ago as a result of the elected officers being promoted to the middle management ranks of the government-owned corporation.
But according to Huedley Moss, advisor to sundry members of the Water and Sewerage Corporation and employees, BUSAWU’s Constitution does not give any such empowerment to the officers to make such a move.
“This is wrong and we will not go along with this. We will take this as far as necessary to get this matter settled,” he said.
In a letter addressed to Director of Labour, Harcourt Brown, the group is requesting that his office supervise the taking of a secret ballot to fill the posts as soon as possible.
Mr Moss told The Guardian that this action would not have been necessary if the current officers had respected the membership of BUSAWU enough to give them an opportunity to select who they wanted to fill the positions.
“What they have done instead is approached their lawyer, and they claimed he told them they have the right to determine who will fill those positions,” he said.
“We wish to state categorically that we believe that he is grossly wrong with that advice, and we are calling on BUSAWU not to insult the intelligence of BUSAWU members by not allowing them the opportunity to vote for the candidate of their choice,” said an irate Mr Moss.
By: KEVA LIGHTBOURNE, The Nassau Guardian
