THE Bahamas Air Traffic Controllers Union's membership met on Thursday night and have agreed, given the government's commitment to them to pay outstanding holiday pay next week, not to take industrial action over the Easter weekend.
A statement from BATCU president, Lashan Gray, said: "Being aware of our overall significance to the country’s economy, we work toward being responsible civic partners, while seeking what is right, fair and proper for our membership. No, we cannot say that the government is truly operating in “good faith” as opposed to operating in its own interest, however, our efforts as a union were and are always centered around yielding positive results.
"Although payments are still not in hand, the Permanent Secretary has communicated in writing to us the Ministry of Transport & Aviation’s commitment to ensure payment no later than Tuesday April 7, 2015 for the holidays since Christmas 2014, bearing in mind that our membership has never in the past been paid for holidays as required nor in accordance with the law.
"This is the most definitive response we have received to date. After much deliberation, our membership has concluded that in the interest of the Bahamian people, we extend to our employer, the Civil Aviation Department and by extension, the Bahamas Government, our courtesy. This is not meant to encourage nor condone any exploitation of workers’ rights, as BATCU continues to stand strong in the fight against such violations and we expect that the Bahamas Government will represent what is proper within the law, not just against private sector employers, but within its own agencies as well."
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Comments
TalRussell 9 years, 7 months ago
Comrades upstairs over at Shirley & Deveaux, we knows you like stenographer story telling but how lazy can you be to use images from the artist's conception of da airport building? How much effort does it take snap an actual picture? I won't even bother suggesting, maybe take a picture that at least attempts to tell the story you are stenographication?
DEDDIE 9 years, 7 months ago
If you paid them their holiday pay, this could have been avoided.
Tarzan 9 years, 7 months ago
Needed the cash for the skim.
Stapedius 9 years, 7 months ago
These unions love to play politics. They are truly out of control and the government must put a stop to it. Threat after threat, government after government these folks are never satisfied. The truth is many unions workers across this country love slackness and laziness. The unions encourage foolishness and prop up bad behavior. It's disgusting. Can their fight ever be about anything other than money?
Tommy77 9 years, 7 months ago
I know right.
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TheMadHatter 9 years, 7 months ago
Stapedius - I wonder if WHEN THEY ARE NOT PAID on Tuesday as promised, and still have not been paid come the next holiday neither for this holiday nor all the ones prior that they mention - will you still sing the same tune.
Now that you are aware of what they are saying - that is - they are not getting paid - will you wait to see IF they ACTUALLY get paid on Tuesday? Will you wait for weeks and weeks and weeks after Tuesday and see that they still continue not to get paid (in full) - and THEN will you support them in their industrial action NEXT HOLIDAY?
Otherwise, how long do you think they should work without pay? How long does one have to work without pay in order to fully and certifiably earn the title of SLAVE ?
TheMadHatter
TheMadHatter 9 years, 7 months ago
But, to answer your question "Can their fight ever be about anything other than money?" - The answer is
YES IT CAN
It can be about something other than money, as soon as BEC and the FOOD STORES and other suppliers of items necessary to sustain life accept something other than money as payment. When they find out what that thing is (bottle caps? sea shell?) - then they would accept those things in place of money because with them they would be able to buy food.
abe 9 years, 7 months ago
So true.
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Stapedius 9 years, 7 months ago
I can't get into this deep discussion with you on the details of the negotiations. But it appears that they are being paid a regular salary. The dispute is overtime and holiday pay. The point is the unions in this country really have some shabby leadership. You folks always get worked up on this thing to get your point across. It is ironically quite interesting that our union leaders have this same rowdy attitude which in most cases achieves nothing.
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