The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

A trade union leader believes there is a campaign within the public and private sectors to ‘destabilise’ the Bahamian labour movement, and he added: “I don’t like what I’m seeing and hearing.”

Obie Ferguson, president of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), said there appears to be an “escalated move” to unilaterally vary the terms and conditions of employment for workers.

“We in the labour movement must be very careful of the manner in which we are dealing with our matters,” Mr Ferguson said.

“There seems to be a movement by the public and private sector to destabilise the labour movement, to discredit the officers of the respective unions, and certainly to destroy the very fabric upon which the labour movement was developed.”

He added: “Employers are failing to report to the Department of Labour to conciliate matters. Employers are failing to negotiate industrial agreements when they are required to do so by law and, more vexing is the public sector, which is supposed to be setting the tune for labour relations.

“They [the Government] are the culprit to a great extent in violating industrial agreements, and terms and conditions of workers. There seems to be an escalated move to unilaterally vary the terms and conditions of workers without consultation. There is a complete disregard for collective bargaining agreements. The purpose of such agreements is to establish terms and conditions between the parties, and the parties are bound to follow them,” said Mr Ferguson.

“We have some serious problems that we have to address. I am concerned. I don’t like what I’m seeing and hearing.”