The Tribune

By SANCHESKA BROWN

Tribune Staff Reporter

sbrown@tribunemedia.net

PRIME Minister Perry Christie said yesterday he “highly doubts” BEC union will sabotage the opening of the Carifta Games because they are “intelligent people who know better”.

Speaking to The Tribune, Mr Christie said he has faith the union at the Bahamas Electricity Corporation will not take any industrial action because they know how important the Carifta Games are to the Bahamian people.

“I think the BEC union and the leadership of the BEC union is able to distinguish between events that are national, where the outside world is looking and where the entire region is looking and I am sure that the leadership of that union is sufficiently responsible to know that this is not an occasion where you do that kind of thing because the damage will be permanent, not just for the union and BEC but for the people of this country and our reputation,” he said.

“I assume the BEC union knows the leadership of the Progressive Liberal party, they know there is a chairman and a board, they know there is a minister and they know if they have exhausted the chairman and the minister they know there is a Prime Minister. They have not spoken to me in any matter to do with industrial action and I presume they know that I am the Court of Appeal and therefore they would utilise whatever avenues they have to speak with me. If they have reached a point where they would contemplate something like that. I hope not and most certainly it is something I would least expect from them.”

Mr Christie’s comments came after speculation that the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) planned on sabotaging this weekend’s Carifta Games.

BEWU’s President Stephano Greene denied any action will be taken. He said his members would not resort to such actions “unless there is some total breakdown” in negotiations.

He said: “The union does not support that type of action or attitude. The membership does not or will not support that type of attitude. If we do take any kind of action it will be the withdrawal of our services. We will never do anything illegal like cutting lines or disrupting service. The membership may be upset but they realize that it is illegal and grounds for being taken to court and losing your job. The membership will not do anything like that, you have my word on that – unless there is some total breakdown, we will continue to conduct ourselves in good faith and will keep ourselves in the mode that we are, which is full support of the corporation and the government.”

BEC Chairman Leslie Miller said if there is any action taken by the union, the consequences will be “dire”.