By EARYEL BOWLEG
ebowleg@tribunemedia.net
WATER and Sewerage Management Union (WSMU) president Montgomery Miller claims he was suspended for two days by the Water and Sewage Corporation (WSC) for questioning the authority.
"In a most recent instance I, in my capacity as president of the Water and Sewerage Management Union, would have written to the general manager asking of them a very basic question - has the Water and Sewerage Corporation converted from a place of employment to a plantation?" he said at a press conference at WSC's headquarters yesterday.
"That is the question that I asked and as a result of that question I was placed on two day suspension without pay as a union president representing the members of this corporation. How could this be right. . .and my question is how can the general manager be judge, jury and executioner?"
Bahamas Utilities Services and Allied Workers Union (BUSAWU) president Dwayne Woods, who works at WSC as a technical officer, was warned in a letter by the general manager about holding impromptu union meetings with staff during working hours and for not working the full eight hours a day as mandated. The general manager noted the corporation "will not tolerate these types of interruptions" as union meetings are to be held before working hours or during lunch.
Yesterday, Mr Miller raised other union grievances including WSC allegedly failing to deal with a three year mould issue at the Eleuthera office. He claimed the health hazard has been an issue since 2017.
"From 2017, information has been provided and approval was given by the former general manager to move these employees. To date, nothing has been done to address this issue," Mr Miller said.
He claimed that "tens of thousands" of dollars were spent on upgrading the conference room and refurbishing the executive suite of the corporation while the employees "suffer" under unsafe work conditions.
High employee turnover during Adrian Gibson's tenure as executive chairman was another point of tension. Mr Miller said WSC managers were "fleeing" the corporation at high rates because of the "torment and chaos" at the water provider.
"While our prime minister goes on the international airwaves speaking of the natural disasters of recent hurricanes like Dorian, he seemingly takes no notice of the unnatural disaster taking place under his watch at WSC by the name of 'Adrian'," Mr Miller said.
Yesterday's press conference is the latest in an ongoing dispute between the union leaders and WSC executives. A strike commenced on February 11 but was halted when the matter was referred to the Industrial Tribunal. A temporary court injunction was granted to stop the strike; the injunction has been extended to March 20.
Comments
themessenger 4 years, 8 months ago
Throw a rock in the pack and see who holler the loudest. Now that the WSC has Chairman and management with some backbone who are hellbent on cleaning up all the corruption and slackness that has been the operational norm at that entity, Mssrs Miller and Woods and their minions now have their panties in a bunch.
Get used to it boys, free lunch over, either get with it or dog eat it!
bogart 4 years, 8 months ago
Management Union President - '"has the Water and Sewage Corporation converted from a place of employment to a plantation ?"'
Goodness grief!!!! What has the Union in all these years and now using the dispicable slavery working conditions image on Bahamians with human dignity in today society. The dispicable connotation is an insult to the staff and creates trauma and stress to many workers whose ancestors were from slavery period. Added to this is the impromptu Union Unions which causes delays and costly to company and customers which the Corporation has been moving great steps forward to better conditions.
Just like any other company having Management doing this behaviour remarks upsetting dignity and morale of staff and interrupting staff work with impromptu costly delays from Union then the solution is simply to fire him.
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 8 months ago
I've heard people use the term in reference to employment at financial institutions and hotels. Weve heard stories for decades of how govt treats bahamians entrepreneurs versus the white people who show up with a briefcase. This is all around us This isn't new.
So I'm less concerned about psychological stress of the word as I'm concerned about the real life treatment.
bogart 4 years, 8 months ago
Way past time that the Commonwealth of the Bahamas needs to look into situations where hatred to used on racial groups, race used to belittle humans or variants of provocations. The often common everyday use of certain words, slurs must stop. The nation should be over this by now instead of denigrating people especially by people, role models that the nation needs. Laws need to be in place to put a stop to race hatred, provocations, dehumanizing etcetc.
ThisIsOurs 4 years, 8 months ago
regulating word usage is great, but if the treatment is the definition of the banned word what is that?
bogart 4 years, 8 months ago
@Thisisours yes I know the treatment exists in many places and its wrong from blue collar to white collar to legal workers to illegal workers Happens in Bahamas and whole book can be written on blatent egregious wrongs still there.
sheeprunner12 4 years, 8 months ago
Can anyone at WSC or BPL really justify their salaries and perks when it comes to their level of education, work ethic or productivity (per capita)?????? ………. as compared to the other college-educated civil service foot soldiers who earn "peanuts" for their labour???? ……… The "plantation" reference should be used elsewhere rather than referencing these entitled SOEs.
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