The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

The Trades Union Congress’s (TUC) president yesterday said its hotel union affiliate was now awaiting a response from Sandals Royal Bahamian to its request to begin negotiations on an industrial agreement.

Obie Ferguson told Tribune Business that the Bahamas Hotel Maintenance and Allied Workers Union (BHMAWU), which represents Sandals employees, was anticipating a favourable outcome to the process.

He added that negotiations, not strike action, was the primary objective at this point.

“We wrote them a letter and we haven’t gotten a response as yet,” Mr Ferguson said. “I’m anticipating that the response will be favourable because the whole purpose of what we are intending to do is try and sit down and negotiate.

“I don’t think that that should be a major problem. Strike is not an issue, certainly not at this stage of the process. Our whole objective is to sit down and negotiate. We will do whatever is necessary to create the level of comfort that is required to enable us to sit down and negotiate.”

Mr Ferguson told Tribune Business last week that on April 1, an injunction was lifted by the Court of Appeal, making it possible for Sandals and the union to sit and begin the process of negotiations.

The TUC has had a long-standing dispute with Sandals Royal Bahamian over the issue of union recognition, and Mr Ferguson yesterday said that the BHMAWU was hoping to begin negotiation on a new agreement with the hotel this week following the Court of Appeal discharge.