The Tribune

By NEIL HARTNELL

Tribune Business Editor

nhartnell@tribunemedia.net

The Government’s top labour official yesterday reassured that workplace unrest “ain’t as serious as it appears”, and added: “This is the culture of trade unions in The Bahamas.”

John Pinder, Director of Labour, speaking out after union executives argued that industrial relations are at an all-time low, asserted that it was not unusual for public sector unions in particular “to act up to get matters addressed” when a general election looms large.

Noting unions seek to “burn up the fire” to pressure the sitting government, using members’ votes as leverage, Mr Pinder nevertheless chastised management at some government agencies - especially Bahamas Power & Light - for moving too slowly on his department’s recommendations for solving union grievances.

Emphasising he was speaking for himself, Mr Pinder said: “I know this is an election climate, and the season is near for an election, so the unions that have outstanding matters with then Government, they certainly burn up the fire.

“Any union with outstanding matters with the Government, they burn up the fire and turn up the fire. This is nothing new. This is the culture of trade unions in The Bahamas. But this does not negate the fact there are some issues that ought to have been resolved by management where I had to get involved.”

Referring specifically to the recent BPL unrest, which saw marches and demonstrations outside the state-owned energy monopoly’s headquarters, Mr Pinder added: “I personally gave my recommendations to management to have those matters resolved, and for others to go to the Industrial Tribunal.

“I recommended to management to resolve those matters because the union was not being unreasonable at that time. As long as things are reasonable, both sides are negotiating in good faith and in a timely fashion, it can be worked out.”

Mr Pinder, himself a former unionist as head of the Bahamas Public Service Union (BPSU), continued: “Unions have to show they’re acting in the best interests of their members. They have to show that they’re relevant, and do that by fighting for what’s in the best interests of their members.

“I think there’s a good working relationship between the Government and trade unions. Any time a Cabinet minister has to step in and negotiate, they’ve been doing it. They’ve not been denying access to the union and, as best they can, they’ve been trying to resolve it. It’s unfortunate some union leaders think only the Prime Minister can resolve their matters.”

Pledging to step in where necessary, and that the Department of Labour would represent all sides equally in negotiations, Mr Pinder said of the latest bout of trade union unrest: “It ain’t as serious as it appears to be, but this is election time. Election is around the corner, and they are acting up to get matters addressed.

“The Government is wise enough to ensure these matters are addressed as best it can, and keep the relationship a cordial one.” The labour chief’s comments came after National Congress of Trade Unions of the Bahamas (NCTUB) officials last week said there was a growing trend of top-ranking executives at government agencies using “union busting” and bullying tactics to intimidate workers.

The umbrella union said the situation has affected staff morale and called upon officials to “cease and desist”. Bernard Evans, its president, said recent demonstrations showed there is disharmony and growing unrest in the workplace, adding that workers have reached their “boiling point”.

“We have reached a point in our history that these board appointments by way of the government. . . have no respect for law and order, meaning our constitution under the Industrial Relations Act. They either have no knowledge and act in ignorance, and believe these boards are their personal arrangement and they can do what they want and talk to us how they wish,” said Mr Evans.

“But we are not asking for anything special. We are asking you to follow the law. We are asking you to respect the tenets of the agreements that you have signed as the employer and we have signed on the behalf of the employees. That’s what we’re asking for.

“… Mr Prime Minister, I know and I hope and I know it’s not you, but your board appointments and chairmen and whatnot have apparently usurped power to disrespect workers in this country. They forgot they work for us and that we put them there, but we have not forgotten that we have the power to remove.” Meanwhile, a conciliatory process has been set up for BPL management and unions to resolve their grievances.

Peter Goudie, the National Tripartite Council’s vice-chair, yesterday argued that industrial unrest was the last thing that The Bahamas needs with its devastated economy still recovering from COVID-19. “I don’t understand it,” he told Tribune Business. “We’re in tough times and that is not what is needed right now.

“We’re trying to fix the country, trying to fix things under COVID-19, and these guys want to go on strike? I don’t get it. I really don’t understand it. It is silly season, but that still doesn’t make it the right thing to do. You can say what you want about the upcoming election, but it’s just not the right thing to do. I don’t get it, and I guess I won’t ever.”