The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

TWENTY-FOUR hours after a staff walk out, the union representing staff at the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas said it intends to file an application for an injunction against a salary deduction to cover workers’ health insurance payments.

Dozens of BCB staffers walked off the job on Wednesday, protesting a salary deduction of some $100 that represents 20 percent of the co-payment requirements for their health insurance.

Workers who are members of both the Bahamas Communication and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) and Bahamas Communication and Public Managers Union (BCPMU) took part in the walk out to protest the deduction.

BCPOU President Dino Rolle said his members simply just cannot bear the burden of the cost. And, he said although the corporation’s management needs the union’s consent to make the deduction, employees discovered this pay period that the money was deducted without their permission.

“Management certainly is adamant about the stance they have taken to. . .deduct from my members salary,” Mr Rolle said. “So there seems to be from their part, no turning around. They seem to be continuing on their path. . .As for the union, both BCPMU and BCPOU in protection of our members we will be filing an injunction in the Supreme Court either today or tomorrow.

Before this, employees were not required to contribute to a co-pay for medical insurance. Mr Rolle said rather than waiting on the union to agree to the deduction as management was advised to do by the Department of Labour, it sought instead to come out and “run roughshod over members” by removing the money from their salaries.

He pointed out that ZNS is a government sponsored entity that does not pay well and insisted that the deduction is just not something that his members can afford.

“I know all of the necessary papers would have been forwarded to our attorneys,” he said. “I left something in my office to be delivered to our attorney this morning and it has been taken to our attorneys.

“My members are back at work today. I have had no contact with management in that regard. They have already began the deductions and I think they believe that they have succeeded in what they set out to do. We are just making noise in the building as far as they are concerned. So we are left with no other choice, but to seek legal redress from the courts.

For his part, BCB chairman, Fred Gottlieb, denied Wednesday’s action was a walkout by staff.

“As far as I understand what transpired yesterday was not a walk out,” Mr Gottlieb said. “It was simply a gathering of employees at ZNS during the course of the day.

“In regards to the talks of the court action, we will deal with that when once it manifests itself and becomes a reality.”

When asked about future industrial action to be taken by ZNS staff, Mr Rolle said the union and employees are not planning any further work disruption and is instead focusing on the promised court action.