The Tribune

By CELESTE NIXON Tribune Staff Reporter cnixon@tribunemedia.net LABOUR Minister Dion Foulkes said he is tentatively hopeful about the progress of negotiations between KFC Nassau and union officials. Following several hours of talks yesterday, Mr Foulkes said some headway had been made, and he believes the dispute - which led to the closure of all nine KFC locations in the capital last week - can be brought to an end. He said: "I do not see any issues that cannot be resolved, it is a matter of both sides understanding the implications." As the official mediator, Mr Foulkes said he could not disclose the details of the negotiations, which are scheduled to resume today at 8am at his East Hill Street office. On February 20, tensions between KFC management and the Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) escalated after the fast food chain cancelled its voluntary recognition of the union as the bargaining agent for KFC employees. Following the announcement, staff staged a sit-down, forcing the closure of the company's New Providence outlets which affected more than 300 employees. Later that evening, Mr Foulkes certified BHCAWU as the official bargaining agent for KFC staff. KFC Nassau said all stores will remain closed until a new industrial agreement is reached and employees will not be paid during this time. The labour agreement between the two parties expired on September 24, 2011, and negotiations on a new agreement began in December. The fast-food chain has argued that its current wage and benefits package is "two times higher than all other fast food brands". Staff salaries were said to be between 79 to 92.5 per cent higher than its fast food industry competitors. According to a KFC advertisement published in a newspaper yesterday seeking to clarify the circumstances that led to the KFC Nassau closures, KFC said the unions have placed jobs of the KFC employees in danger by failing to get the necessary authorisation to strike. It said: "This illegal industrial action caused serious financial harm to KFC's business and this reckless approach by the union continues to place all jobs in jeopardy, and puts the survival of the company at risk." Mr Foulkes said he had not seen the ad, and given his position as mediator, he did not wish to comment.