The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

A top trade unionist yesterday charged that there has been a “complete breakdown” in labour relations in the Bahamas, warning that a mass strike could be imminent unless the Government decides to “do the the right thing”.

Attorney Obie Ferguson, head of the the Trades Union Congress (TUC), called on the Government to address all outstanding industrial agreements, and outlined several amendments which he said needed to be made to the Employment Act.

Mr Ferguson announced a labour rally for May 6 to highlight a number of worker-related issues in the country, and to sensitise the public to those concerns.

“We are not threatening anyone. We just want to sensitise the Bahamian public as to why we have to do what I believe we will have to do,” Mr Ferguson said.

“There has been a significant increase in trade disputes and disgruntled workers, people who are on the job and can’t get basic things like vacation and sick pay. I’m very uncomfortable with where we are going.

“We are very concerned with the direction of labour in this country. There is a complete breakdown. It’s to a point where it’s almost unbearable. We have to do something. We have no other choice.”

Mr Ferguson’s TUC covers some 20-plus trade unions with a collective membership of 15,000 workers across the Bahamas.

Among the labour related issues the TUC is seeking to highlight, and have addressed, are the failure of unions to attain recognition from employers, in some cases waiting three to four years; the failure to have industrial agreements dealt with on a timely basis; and government’s failure to make amendments to legislation affecting workers.

“There are a number of things we would want to see addressed,” said Mr Ferguson, referencing a number of proposed amendments outlined in letters to the Prime Minister in 2012.

“A lot of workers are working on commission, but commission is not a part of wages. If a persons is terminated, on what basis can they make a claim for damages? That’s one issue,” he added.

“We have also asked the Government to look at the issue of gratuity. How the law is today, if you are made redundant you can’t get redundancy pay and gratuity. We say that ought to be changed.

“We have also said that a lot of these companies are coming into the Bahamas as shell companies and pay $1,500 or $2,500 to register the company. They have no assets, so we are saying require them to put into a redundancy fund ‘x’ amount of dollars a week so that when they go belly up, the workers have something to collect after working for so many years,” Mr Ferguson said.

“Even if you take them to court and succeed you have nothing to collect. In a case that I did, the fellow left $20 on his account.”

Mr Ferguson also argued that the law relative to severance pay needs to be amended. “Let’s assume that you work for 30 years and I work for my employer for 12 years. The way the law is today you and I get the same,” he added.

Mr Ferguson said he was prepared to draft a Bill with the amendments the TUC was seeking for the Government to review.

“We are prepared to do what we have to do. What is needed in the Bahamas is a complete shutdown of all workers. After May 6 you may very well hear a cry from this body inviting all workers to stand still. Three days in my opinion may be sufficient to bring sufficient pressure, so that we could sit down and negotiate on a timely basis, not three or four years. That doesn’t make any sense,” said Mr Ferguson.