By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff
Reporter
sbrown@
tribunemedia.net
LABOUR Minister Shane Gibson said yesterday teachers in Nassau cannot take any industrial action, despite hundreds of them agreeing to hold a strike vote next week.
Speaking with The Tribune, Mr Gibson said the Bahamas Union of Teachers concerns are now before the Industrial Tribunal, meaning no action can be taken.
“First of all, anytime a matter is referred to the Tribunal, it means all industrial action must cease. They can have their vote, what they do privately or as a union is really no concern to us,” he said.
“The next step, I guess, would be for them to apply to the Director of Labour for him to supervise a strike vote, but you cannot supervise a vote where there is a potential cause for industrial action. They cannot strike, not if the matter is in front of the Tribunal and the union knows that. If there was some other dispute that was referred to the Tribunal and they want to take industrial action in relation to that, that is fine once they follow the right steps. But if the dispute is filed at the Department of Labour they cannot strike. I am not sure why they had their vote and I do not want to speculate. At this point I have not heard of any application being filed. I heard one is supposed to be filed, but I have not seen it. If that does happen that we will advise the organization accordingly.”
On Monday, hundreds of teaches voted “yes” to taking the formal step toward going on strike, which could happen as early as next week.
According to Bahamas Union of Teachers President Belinda Wilson: ”Teachers overwhelmingly support having a strike vote. We really headed towards a strike now.”
As she awaits the results of similar polls from across the Bahamas, she said last night that she would write the Department of Labour to inform them of the teachers’ decision. The Department of Labour, she said, would then have to send a representative to formally conduct a strike vote and certify the teachers’ decision to go on strike – a process she says should take no more than seven days.
The Tribune contacted the Department of Labour, but calls were not returned up to press time.
Comments
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 4 months ago
These union leaders are trouble makers. I wholeheartedly support the right of employees to organize and to stand up for their rights, but it's almost like they've allowed Damien and his minions to lead every union in the nation. They are leading their members down a path that has no sense, no foundation in the law and will lead to destruction (possibly of all of us). The members are clueless as to what they are being riled up to support. All they know is the leader is making noise and we support them when they make noise. They follow these pied pipers blindly.
Paula 10 years, 4 months ago
They need to do their job and teach these children!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seems as though they spend more time striking than teaching. Fed up with this crap!!!!!!!
ohdrap4 10 years, 4 months ago
teachers can't go on strike, only bec workers can
however, these teachers don't know how to pick their battles, this business of them having the right to disrupt classes is utter nonsense and bullying.
still, the guyanese , jamaicans and other non-pensionalbes are not going to strike, that is for sure.
they dont bring guyanese to work at bec, only in education.
GQ 10 years, 4 months ago
Same teachers who snuggled up to the PLP in last years election is now ready to strike for justifiable reasons? From PGC and his "Golden Knights" this is the thanks you get!
The_Oracle 10 years, 4 months ago
Actually, the kids are probably better off without the teachers, they can log onto the internet and learn something real! Our educational system, while struggling to teach the basics, R, R &R, is teaching them irrelevant twisted History, Bahamas Centrist Geography, no world philosophy, no rules based consistency or behavior, with no support from Parents. God help them.
rony 10 years, 4 months ago
Teachers should be in the class room, but why can't the government just pay them dred? They treat their own people like s**t no wonder private companies do what they do to Bahamians
ThisIsOurs 10 years, 4 months ago
That's what I don't know about this situation. Obviously they've been promised "whatever" in the past and it fell through, but what have they been promised today and have they given enough time for action to be taken or are they just running on blind anger? I'd like to see a list of their grievances against what they expect as a resolution and what the government has proposed as a resolution. Not that I believe the govt can't break a deal but these unions are sometimes unreasonable.
john33xyz 10 years, 4 months ago
The problem with Belinda is she doesn't realize that she's ONLY a Bahamian in this country - and therefore doesn't deserve anything, even the time of day (just like the rest of us).
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