The Tribune

RESTAURANTS (Bahamas) Limited has confirmed that its nine KFC Nassau locations will remain closed as a result of the "illegal strike action" ordered by union bosses. The company claims this strike was supervised by paid union organisers in each store, who ensured KFC employees sat down and did not work on Monday. Following the last round of strikes, KFC Nassau said, it notified its employees and the union that should any further illegal industrial action occur, the stores would be closed, and would only reopen when an industrial agreement was reached. "Such irresponsible actions only continue to inconvenience KFC's customers," said a spokesman. The Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union still does not have a strike vote or a certificate to strike, the company noted. The spokesman said: "On Monday, union officials located in each store instructed staff to sit down and cease work. "This disruption to the restaurants' operations was an illegal industrial act, and has caused an inconvenience to our customers, as well as thousands of dollars worth of product that could not be sold due to the closure of the restaurants and instead was donated to charitable organisations. "Any good trade unionist would have secured the necessary authorisation to strike before doing so. We're disappointed that employees' jobs have been put at risk by such irresponsible conduct." KFC Nassau said it intends to "fully exercise its rights as an employer faced with an illegal strike action. The company is unable to reopen its restaurants and bring its employees back to work without completion of a new industrial agreement. Based on this illegal action, the company is unwilling to pay any employees while stores remain closed. "On several previous occasions the company endured the illegal industrial action sponsored by the union, and continued as best it could to operate its business. On this occasion the company is unwilling to operate in this hostile environment." KFC Nassau also said it has not as yet received a claim for recognition from the union. "The procedure set out in the Industrial Relations Act calls for the employer to be served with a claim for recognition, which is then followed by either an acceptance or rejection of the claim within the prescribed period," said the KFC spokesman. "Certification of recognition must be preceded by a claim for recognition to the employer." The union was unavailable for comment when contacted by The Tribune last night.