The Tribune

By LYNAIRE MUNNINGS

Tribune Staff Reporter

lmunnings@tribunemedia.net

RESTAURANT Bahamas Limited, operator of KFC, and the Bahamas Hotel Managerial Association on Friday signed a five-year industrial agreement, bringing months of negotiations to a close in a process both sides said was marked by cooperation rather than conflict.

BHMA president Obie Ferguson KC described the agreement as a significant moment for both the company and the managers it represents, particularly given the absence of industrial action during talks.

“This is a very important event,” he said. “We have had what I consider to be constructive negotiations, even though there were differences at the beginning of the process, the management, along with the Association, we have been able to work them out, and we now reach a conclusion of the agreement.”

Mr Ferguson said the process stood out in a national industrial relations climate where disputes often escalate into demonstrations or strikes.

"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," he said on Friday.

"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 was very healthy, and it was done, if I may say, at the very last minute, particularly on the wage package."

He attributed part of that outcome to a departure from traditional bargaining practices, noting that restaurant managers themselves were included directly in negotiations for the first time.

“It was not just traditional. The trade union leader, along with his team, would be the ones who would normally be a part of those negotiations. 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,” he said.

Mr Ferguson said workers reviewed the final wage package and accepted it unanimously. With the agreement now settled, he said attention must turn to performance and productivity.

RBL director of human resources Nina Maynard said the agreement reflects the company’s stated commitment to its workforce, describing RBL as “in the people business first, in the restaurant business second.”

“This agreement reinforces our promise to safeguard the well-being, dignity and success of every member of our organisation. It ensures stability, opportunity and fairness, values we stand firmly behind,” she said.

Ms Maynard said the company preserved its major existing benefits while strengthening the overall package for managers. The agreement includes paid vacation, a non-contributory pension fund, partially paid health insurance, sick-leave provisions and a salary structure approved by both parties.

The five-year agreement was described by both sides as sustainable and balanced, addressing the needs of the business while recognising the role of its managerial workforce.

Mr Ferguson said managers can expect a positive holiday season, noting that Christmas bonuses and benefits remain in place, and expressed hope that the tone and outcome of the talks could serve as a template for future industrial negotiations in The Bahamas.