The Tribune

By RICARDO WELLS

Tribune Staff Reporter

rwells@tribunemedia.net

LABOUR Minister Dion Foulkes will officially rule today whether the Bahamas General Workers Union (BGWU) is allowed to proceed with planned industrial action amid its dispute with Bahamas Waste Limited over unsettled grievances.

In an interview with The Tribune yesterday, Mr Foulkes said he was awaiting the official results of a strike vote taken by the Department of Labour last Thursday.

Mr Foulkes contended that once those results are officially conveyed to him by Labour Director Robert Farquharson, he will make his ruling on the move.

"We have progressed quite some ways with that matter," he said.

"The strike vote was taken last week on the 14th or 15th and those officials results have yet to be conveyed to me. But once they are, you will hear my ruling. I am thinking that could come as early as (today)."

BGWU President Dr Thomas Bastian earlier this month confirmed his union was elected the primary bargaining agent for workers at Bahamas Waste Limited last spring, and was also granted leave to negotiate an industrial agreement on their behalf.

Despite the move however, Dr Bastian claimed the executives of Bahamas Waste Ltd refused to recognise the BGWU and has sought to purposefully sidestep the union and its officers.

In response, the BGWU filed a grievance with the Department of Labour, which resulted in the company being instructed to meet with the union's representatives within 45 days.

Nearing the end of that timeframe, Bahamas Waste Ltd requested an extension on the ruling and was granted an additional 33 days to meet with the union.

That subsequent deadline was also allowed to pass.

Dr Bastian said that the BGWU was not approached until late March when it was presented with a bargaining document from the company which was absent both pay and benefits schedules.

In response, the union wrote to Mr Foulkes on December 5 to note the status of the matter and to officially request a strike vote.

Contacted yesterday, Dr Bastian said the union was now in a "holding pattern" and simply "waiting on the minister to make his case before we go forward with what we have planned."

He added: "We have asked that the matter move forward to the Industrial Tribunal. The company's attitude to date is one of disinterest and we are done begging for the respect we rightfully deserve.

"The workers have their rights and no company will be allowed to step on those rights. I am sure the minister will rule that to be the case," Dr Bastian concluded.

Bahamas Waste Ltd has maintained its silence on the matter.

When contacted for comment earlier this month, Managing Director Francisco de Cardenas said the firm was preparing a statement for release, however that release was never presented to The Tribune.