The Tribune

By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

THE Water & Sewerage Corporation has agreed to let police investigate whether illegal listening devices have been used to spy on WSC employees, Labour Director John Pinder said yesterday.

Attempting to stem industrial unrest at the corporation, Mr Pinder met officials of the Water & Sewerage Management Union (WSMU) and the Bahamas Utility Service and Allied Workers Union (BUSAWU) yesterday to discuss this and other issues that have frayed relations between workers and WSC executive chairman Adrian Gibson.

The WSMU insists their offices have been bugged. Without providing details, the union claims some workers have been followed home.

Mr Pinder said: “The corporation has agreed for the police to come and do their investigation to see if there are any hidden devices. We only recommended that the union be made aware of it so they can see the police in action really doing what they requested. They gave us no reason as to why they came up with such allegation. They never gave any reason as to why they claim to be followed. I told them that is something they should take to the police. That’s a serious indictment.”

According to Mr Pinder, the WSMU believes illegal surveillance devices have been installed within the corporation’s permanent infrastructure, a claim the labour director said is almost “impossible to be true.”

Nonetheless, Mr Pinder admitted it is concerning that relationships at the corporation have frayed to the point that some of WSC’s most educated staff are paranoid about being followed home and spied upon.

“I can only say I think there is a serious need for a better relationship between the union president and the management of the Water and Sewerage,” he said. “There is a need for more respect for each side and I believe some of these things would go away. The respect isn’t there. I said in the meeting they have to understand it isn’t business as usual. “Apparently, what one administration allowed them to get away with, this administration said they wouldn’t allow them to abuse any property or essence of the corporation.”

Last week, BUSAWU members demonstrated outside the corporation’s headquarters, protesting the suspension of two people suspected of running car businesses from the corporation’s premises. 

One of the workers was suspended with pay while his matter is investigated. WSC officials requested information from him, prolonging their investigation for at least five further days. Officials suspect the man has been running a car rental operation on WSC premises. “He had two or three cars on the grounds,” Mr Pinder said. “Apparently one was there for a very long time, almost a year or something. He said a rental car had broken down, then a person brought him another rental car. They want proof of what he’s saying and they gave him until Wednesday to bring that information. Their concern is why you have two rental cars when you have your own private car you bringing to work?”

Another man who was suspended for five days saw that suspension reduced to two days.

The man claimed he left a car on WSC grounds after having a problem with the battery.

“There is evidence to suggest otherwise,” Mr Pinder said. “He drove to work that day in his private car. He took another car off the dock when the car came in. He parked it on the premises and went to finish his work. When he came back he said he left it there until Monday because the car battery was dead. They suspect that he is a person who imports vehicles for sale or for people and is using the premises to store them. They have footage that suggest this has been going on at the corporation. In the past, the corporation didn’t have any issue with persons doing this kind of thing and now that they’ve decided to tighten up. The union is of the view that there is no policy as to how many vehicles one can bring and abuse of the corporation’s property had to do with equipment and not the physical premises.”

Mr Pinder said workers who protested last week will receive a two-day pay cut. 

As Mr Pinder finished his meeting with union officials, WSC Executive Chairman announced a sweeping plan to digitise WSC services beginning this month.