The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas’ two trade union bodies are calling on Prime Minister Perry Christie to facilitate negotiations with Sandals Royal Bahamian for the reinstatement of all terminated union officers, along with the other workers released back in August.

In a joint statement from the Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the National Congress of Trade Unions (NCTU),  under the Joint Labour Movement (JLM) banner, the groups reiterated calls for the Government to immediately pass legislation to  protect Bahamian workers from sudden mass redundancies.  

Acknowledging the recent ‘nolle prosequi’ for the five Bahamas Hotel, Maintenance & Allied Workers Union (BHMAWU) officers who had been charged in connection with  a demonstration outside the Cable Beach-based resort, the unions asserted that the Attorney General’s decision to also drop charges against top Sandals executives had established a precedent damaging to the trade union movement. “

The end result is that the executives of the union and the workers are without their jobs, while the executives of Sandals, continue to be employed,” the unions said.

“The effect of what the Attorney General did is to establish a precedent which is damaging to the trade union and labour movements. For example, if a trade union or a worker goes to the Labour Board to file a dispute with an employer who fails to attend a conciliation meeting, only the Attorney General is authorised to commence proceedings for failure to appear.”

The unions are now calling on Mr Christie to cause Sandals management to meet with the bargaining agent union and begin negotiations before the soft reopening  of the hotel, which is set for today.

They are also seeking the immediate reinstatement of all terminated union officers; negotiations for reinstatement of other workers made redundant by Sandals on August 15; the execution of an industrial agreement for the Bahamas Customs, Immigration and Allied Workers Union with the Government; the execution of an industrial agreement for the Water and Sewerage Management Union; access and collection of dues for members of the Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union (Melia); payment of overtime and holiday pay due to Air Traffic Controllers; and meaningful negotiations between Cable Bahamas and the BCPOU.