The Tribune

By DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

A STRIKE poll for some 600 hotel workers could take place in Grand Bahama after negotiations for a new labour agreement was not finalised as expected on Tuesday between the union and management at the Grand Lucayan Resort.

Obie Ferguson, president of the Trade Union Congress, said the reported removal of all employee benefits from the agreement by management is totally unacceptable and is not indicative of “good faith” negotiations by the resort.

“This is terrible; I have never seen this in all my years of labour relations… all the meat to the agreement is taken out,” he said while in Freeport.

According to union officials, the benefits that were cut from the agreement include wage increase; employee aid fund; health and welfare; pension fund, health and safety; Christmas bonus; ham and turkey offers, among others.

The Commonwealth Union of Hotel Services and Allied Workers represents the line staff, and the Bahamas Hotel Managerial Union represents the managerial staff. Both fall under the umbrella of the TUC.

The old agreement expired in 2006 and the benefits were in place since 2001. The CUHSAWU took over representation of the workers in June 2013, and negotiations were ongoing between the parties since then for a new agreement.

Mr Ferguson, who acts as attorney for both unions, said they had been re-engaged in negotiations last week, and he expected an agreement would be reached on Tuesday. “Prior to today, we met with management two days ago about the final draft for the final clauses in the agreement,” he said.

“We came here (at the resort) with a view to finalising that (an agreement) today, and we are learning now that what workers had for the last 15 years – all of these benefits — are gone. And they want us to accept that; we will not accept it and a strike vote will be taken,” he said.

He claimed the hotel’s general manager “has repudiated the entire agreement for the workers.”

“He has taken all of the benefits out; we are not going to allow him to do that; we will strike in this hotel… and do what is required in the interest of the workers,” Mr Ferguson told reporters.

He said he intends to file a trade dispute and make a formal written request to Minister of Labour Shane Gibson to conduct a strike poll as soon as possible for hotel workers at the Grand Lucayan Resort.

Mr Ferguson met with some of the workers briefly at the hotel to inform them about the situation.

He stressed that the wage increase is critical because workers had not received one since 2009.

Mr Ferguson showed where the resort had agreed and signed to a 2.5 per cent wage increase in 2009, but it was never honoured.

He was also concerned about the change in insurance arrangements by management without first informing the union and the workers.

Mr Ferguson said that management has also demonstrated no regard for the law.

He also said that management has offered no explanation for discontinuing the benefits.