The Tribune

Union recognition is taking a “vexing” three years to complete, a leading trade unionist says, rather than the desired three months.

Trades Union Congress (TUC) president, Obie Ferguson, told Tribune Business that the current process of union recognition was designed to frustrate workers.

“The recognition of trade unions, the process is very vexing,” he said. “We want that to turnaround, say in about three months. The way it is now you can go for 10 years and still do not get recognition. We have to sort that out.

“You can’t take three years to recognise a union but that’s what is happening. By the time you get around to it all the members are gone because why should you pay $10 per week and you can’t see anyone and nothing is happening. That is designed to frustrate.”

Mr Ferguson also described the Employment Act as “deficient”. “ The Employment Act is deficient in that it makes no provision for commissioned workers. If you’re on a commission and you are fired, where do you go for some sort of relief?” he said.

“The present Employment Act doesn’t provide a clear position for a worker. You have to hire some lawyer to determine whether you can make a claim. That must be nonsense.”

“There is also the issue with redundancy pay,” the TUC president added. “You can’t give me 12 months pay if I work for you for 12 years, and the other guy who works for you for 35 years is still only given 12 months pay. To me that just doesn’t make any sense.

“Redundancy should be based on a maximum of 33 months; it can’t be 12 months. Then they have the provision in the Act which says that you can’t get gratuity and redundancy all at the same time. You may elect which one you are going to take even though you’re entitled to both. We say that we are progressing but we’re not really progressing. These things are wrong.

“When it comes to redundancy pay, I have asked successive governments that every company that comes into the Bahamas, they should pay a certain amount of money into a fund, a redundancy fund, so when these companies go belly up the employees have some place to go and collect if not all, at least a portion of something, to sustain you for a period.”