The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie said yesterday he will not allow Bahamas Electrical Workers Union executives to “hold a gun to his head” and force him to make swift decisions that may not be in the best interest of the Bahamas.
Mr Christie was responding to members of the BEWU who, for the past three days, have been demanding the immediate firing of Bahamas Electricity Corporation Executive Chairman Leslie Miller and the end of the rostering system at the corporation.

They were also demanding a fired employee be immediately reinstated.
Union members gathered outside of the Superclubs Breezes hotel yesterday, insisting that Mr Christie meet with them and resolve their outstanding issues. Mr Christie was opening the International Development Bank Caribbean Growth Forum.
The Prime Minister told reporters he would have gladly met with the union if they had requested a meeting with him “in a civilized manner.”

“The BEC union has not requested any conference or meeting or consultation with me. They have decided to speak to the minister responsible which is the Deputy Prime Minister. I have had no contact with them. So with respect to their demand to dismiss or for the Chairman to be relieved of his responsibility, that is an executive decision that has to be made by the Cabinet and I do not know that they have made representations in that regard to the Deputy Prime Minister. If they have, he has to bring those representations to the Cabinet, most certainly you must not demand that of me in a public setting. That is not the way people in the Bahamas ought to conduct themselves. I would have thought there was a level of civility that exists between me and the leadership of the union,” he said.

“It happened when I was Prime Minister before, I had a very civil relationship with the leadership of the union. I don’t care how much they are disturbed by decision making, by the very least I would expect them to be able to seek counsel with me as to why they think certain things should take place but not to make public demands of me. When you make public demands you must know what the answer is in that regard. They have the right to demonstrate I trust that they are doing so lawfully and we will take it from there. That is not the way I do business.”

Mr Christie told union President Stephano Greene that he would sit down with him and his union executives at 2pm yesterday. Mr Greene agreed that the workers would return to work but said the union was still waiting on a letter from Labour Minister Shane Gibson, instructing them to cease all industrial action.

“From our understanding verbally we were informed through the news and other sources that the minister has instructed the Department of Labour to send the trade dispute to the Industrial Tribunal, we know that legally and the Act says that once a trade dispute is sent to the Tribunal all industrial action as it relates to that dispute should cease. The normal procedure is for them to get back to us in writing, that has not been done as yet. We know we will get it in writing today, once we get it in writing our members are fully prepared to adhere to the law and return to work,” he said.

The dispute has been referred to the Industrial Tribunal to settle. Operations at BEC are expected to back to normal today.