The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

MEMBERS of the Bahamas General Workers Union employed at Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) yesterday stood in solidarity against the alleged victimisation of union members.

Two weeks ago, a three-year agreement was signed by BTVI and the Bahamas General Workers Union valued at an estimated $157,000. It is reported that the agreement provides benefits of improved salary scales, allowances, merit pay increases, performance reviews, promotions, and regularisation among other things.

However, some union members demonstrated outside the Office of the Prime Minister on March 1 while the agreement was being signed, expressing “little to no confidence” in the agreement.

At a protest held outside of BTVI yesterday, Ernesto Williams, assistant secretary of the Union of Tertiary Educators of The Bahamas (UTEB), said members of the Bahamas General Workers Union are speaking out against the “disenfranchise” of members employed at BTVI, calling it unfair.

According to Mr Williams, following the March 1 protest, an employee of BTVI was targeted and as a result later terminated from their position within the institution. He questioned the motives behind this alleged play of events.

“So, on March 1, you would have noted that an industrial agreement would have been signed between the Institute (BTVI) on the union at the Office of the Prime Minister,” he told reporters yesterday at the protest.

“A lot of the employees at the institute would have showed up in demonstration in belief that this agreement did not consider their concerns, values and they had little to no confidence in it.”

He continued: “And so they would have peacefully demonstrated, which is the legal right in our country. Of course, days later, one of those very individuals who would have stood up in that demonstration would have received termination that is, unfortunately.

“It raises concerns within the staff here that are present as to what’s going, do we not matter, is this a picking of sorts, of individuals who decide to stand up for not only what they know is right, but for what they believe in?”

Mr Williams noted the importance of union members being able to utilise their fundamental right, calling out against victimisation and discrimination of staff.

“I know, we do not live in a country, in this Bahama land where our government, our leaders could sit well and sleep at night, knowing that employees somewhere here are being disenfranchised or not being considered, or are having their voices muted through their employment to an institution.

“It’s unfair, and we want to speak against that. Let it be known and aware that the individuals at the institute, even with the union present, these are individuals who stand in agreement that we should have the right to speak, we should have the right to move accordingly. And to demonstrate in this nation of freedom without being or without fear of victimisation, or fear of being held back.”

Yesterday, Daniel Thompson, president of UTEB, supported the workers during the peaceful protest, saying that the Bahamas General Workers Union and BTVI must be careful to not engage in “union busting tactics”.

Acknowledging that union members were “disgruntled”, he noted that they are entitled to the rights and protection of the union.

“We are basically saying that the union, as well as the institute, must be careful not to engage in union busting tactics,” he said yesterday.

“That while these workers may have been disgruntled with what took place a few weeks ago, nonetheless, they are still workers, and they are still members of that union, and until such time, as they leave that union, they’re still entitled to the rights and protection from that union.”

He added: “And now one of their own has been dismissed. Now, one may argue that whether the dismissal has anything to do with her engagement in a demonstration, well, let’s put it this way it’s very coincidental that eight days after demonstrating you are dismissed, and I think it tells a very significant story about union busting tactics.”

He noted that alleged dismissal of the union member is “antithetical” to what the Davis government represents, adding that there is the uncertainty in this being the first of many.