The Tribune

By Annelia Nixon

Tribune Business Reporter

anixon@tribunemedia.net

The Trades Union Congress (TUC) president is urging trade unions to adopt a less adversarial approach to industrial agreement negotiations as he hailed the signing of a five-year deal between Kentucky Fried Chicken’s Bahamian franchise and its middle managers.

Obie Ferguson, who represented the Bahamas Hotel Managerial Association (BHMA) and its members in the talks with Restaurant Bahamas (RBL), the KFC operator, said it was one of the more “successful negotiations” because the managers themselves were involved in the contract discussions.

Nina Maynard, Restaurant Bahamas’ director of human resources, said the industrial agreement provides more benefits for BHMA members. “I would say Restaurant Bahamas has enjoyed considerable benefits for quite some time through the negotiations that would have existed for years with the BHMA and RBL,” she said.

“So this year, I would say that we made sure that we kept those benefits in place, and then we added a few more that makes the livelihood of our managers even more affordable for them. They get really great vacation. We have a pension fund that's not contributory for them. We offer health insurance that they pay partial and we do too.

“They have great sick leave because, of course, our managers work really, really hard, and so when they're sick we want to make sure that they don't feel like they have to come to work sick. They can go and get the care that they need. So they have those sick benefits, and their salary benefits are good this year.”

Conceding that there were “tight spots” during the negotiations, Mr Ferguson said the involvement of KFC middle managers who are members of the bargaining unit made a significant difference. He added that it was the first time he could recall that the managers have been included in the negotiation process.

“The trade union leader, along with his team, would be the ones who would normally be a part of those negotiations,” Mr Ferguson explained. “In this case, I decided that in order for them to know everything we were aware of, they are to sit there and they can hear it. So when we agree to something, we're not only agreeing because we as officers say it that particular way.

“We agree because the workers who will now go on their job, they know of the experience that they were going through, and they were able to put it to management, and we were able to work it out. So overall, as Ms Maynard indicated, the basic benefits are there. And I can assure you, it's not $260 a week. We have come to a reasonable financial arrangement, in my view, that is liveable.

“And it was direct participation from the workers, the working people you see here. They are the representatives in the various restaurants. So when we get to an issue, they were there, and they can say, 'Well, it don't go quite like that. This is the way we experience it.' And we were able to work it out, to bring this document to where it's at today.”

Mr Ferguson said no industrial action was taken by BHMA members even though this is what many trade unions have “traditionally” viewed this as “what is required to bring an agreement to an end”.

“Trade unions traditionally don't negotiate,” he added. “I don't know of any agreement, except this one, where there was not some industrial action. I don't know of one, and I represent 41 unions - 41 unions in The Bahamas. I don't know of a case where there was negotiation and there was no demonstration or a strike, or some industrial action, and in this particular agreement, in this particular process, I should say there was no need for strike or anything of that nature. 

“The management agreed to some things that I think were very healthy, and it was done, if I may say, at the very last minute, particularly on the wage package. I think that was something I think we had to go back to our membership with. We didn't do it all by ourselves. Once the management presented the case, we took it to all of the workers - all.

“Not only the property repsresentatives, but to the workers themselves, and we went through it with them, and they agreed… So they're going have a good Christmas I assume. Again, the contract provided for the terms and they accepted it. So there's very little we can say about it, other than the process by which we did it was slightly different.”

Mr Ferguson voiced optimism that other trade unions will adopt a similar approach. “And I just hope that, from a broader perspective, in the interest of our country, trade unions would negotiate in this fashion because strikes are necessary, but it's not something that we would want to... because when you go on strike, a couple of things happen,” he said.

“The company suffers. So that is not something you should want to rush to. You want to sit down and work it out. I have some very strong convictions about certain things. And one of the things I accept is that there could never be a problem that you can't resolve unless you don't want to. Every issue you can resolve as long as you are prepared to give and take.”