The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

THE government yesterday signed a five-year industrial agreement with the Bahamas Educators Managerial Union (BEMU), the first of its kind for the collective bargaining agent.

Labour and National Insurance Minister Shane Gibson yesterday applauded the BEMU for the maturity displayed by union executives during the “relatively short negotiations,” maturity he said led to an agreement that worked in the best interests of both sides.

“We negotiate with unions everyday and some unions still feel as though if they are confrontational everyday and threatening to strike and threatening industrial action, that is the best way to go. I don’t ever remember this particular union doing that,” said Mr Gibson at a press conference at the Ministry of Public Service.

He added that both parties arrived at the agreement as a result of mutual understanding that negotiations are “a give and take” process.

He said: “The country is just now beginning to rebound, we see some growth, we see some positive things happening and the fact that everyone understands that we have one pie and everybody must get a slice of that pie.

“We have one Bahamas to build and the union can’t win and we lose, and when and say we, I mean as a country, and the country can’t win and the union loses. It is always a give and take.

“Obviously we can never ever really compensate educators for the role that they play in the overall development of the country, we can’t.”

BEMU President Charles Wildgoose labelled the agreement a tremendous success, insisting that government negotiators never used the BEMU’s lack of experience in industrial negotiations against his members.

According to Mr Wildgoose, in 2011 BEMU executives began compiling the necessary data needed for its first collective bargaining industrial agreement.

One year later, an initial proposal was presented to the relevant government ministries resulting in the start of dialogue between the union and the government on the way forward.

Mr Wildgoose vowed that his union, although young, will continue to work with the Ministry of Education to positively impact the educational system.

“The parties agree to work together to promote quality education in the public education system,” he said. “We agree with that. Both parties agree that effective communication is critical for educational managers to achieve organisational success.”

Minister of Education Jerome Fitzgerald commended union executives for their patience throughout the negotiation process.

“I just want to point out that it really stands as an example of how negotiations between trade unions and government can be conducted,” he said.

“A very respectful manner with there being mutual respect and also having a clear understanding of the realities that the country faces.”

Following a 2009 Supreme Court ruling, the BEMU was officially recognised as the primary industrial negotiator for administrators, principals, vice principals, senior persons, and education officers in the Department of Education and the Ministry of Education.

BEMU now represents more than 400 education managers in The Bahamas.