The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

The union representing more than 100 line staff at Morton Salt said yesterday it has a “serious problem” with the company’s decision to unilaterally change the employee work week from five days to three.

Jennifer Brown, president of the Bahamas Industrial, Manufacturers & Allied Workers Union (BIMAWU), told Tribune Business the union had only been made aware of the company’s decision in a meeting on Tuesday, at which time it was also informed that there was no place to stockpile the salt.

“The union has a serious problem with this. The union was not consulted prior to the decision made. The company continues to disregard the union,” said Mrs Brown.

“The plant closed for two working days and employees were able to return to work after the hurricane warning was lifted. We are presently behind the production goal.”

Mrs Brown added that the union believes that, because it has a matter pending before the Industrial Tribunal, which should have only taken a few weeks, the company has decided to make a unilateral decision to alter the work week.

“It’s been over eight months now and the judge as not given a ruling on the matter. It appears to the union that something is definitely wrong,” said Mrs Brown, adding that the BIMAWU has filed a trade dispute. She said there are some 124 employees at Morton in Inagua.

Adrian Lightbourne, the union’s vice-president, said: “They want us to meet a goal they set for 1.4 million tonnes, which we have never agreed on. On top of that they want each shift to work 24 hours for the week, and they will still get their six days for the week.

“There has to be a problem. It’s not because they don’t have space to stockpile the salt. They want to get full production but cut the work week for the employees. It’s not fair.

“It has to be because of the matters we have pending, and they are trying all sorts of things to sidetrack the employees. We are calling out to the Government; we feel like we are getting treated unfairly and no one is coming to our aid.”

Mrs Brown also accused the company of discriminating in its work week change, noting that maintenance workers will be allowed to work five days a week - from Tuesday to Saturday.

“We are pleading to the Government. We just want them to force these people to abide by the law. Right now they have so many part-time workers that even if we as a body decided to take industrial action, they have sufficient part-time workers to replace them,” Mrs Brown said.

Attempts to obtain comment from Morton Salt representatives yesterday proved unsuccessful up to press time yesterday.