The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) yesterday moved to secure its members’ approval of a new industrial agreement with Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) after “some of the big ticket items” were resolved.

Kyle Wilson, the line staff union’s president, told Tribune Business he was confident that members will sign-off on the latest proposal sent to him by BPL management.

He said: “Some of the big ticket items have been worked out. I’m still waiting on the information for the insurance policy, as that is still before the courts. But a lot of the issues have been worked out and we’re still at the table. There is nothing bigger than the contract.”

The BEWU chief said that once his members ratified the proposed industrial agreement, “there will probably be a meeting and then a signing off” involving both union and BPL representatives.

The potential deal has been reached less than two weeks after BEWU members staged a protest outside BPL’s Blue Hill Road office on August 19, where Mr Wilson accused BPL management of stalling on resolving outstanding issues related to negotiations over a new industrial agreement. The previous deal expired in 2018.

Other grievances cited by Mr Wilson were what he branded as a lack of transparency over BPL’s employee insurance, plus pay increases and safety concerns at the utility’s work sites.

However, Mr Wilson said: “In all honesty I am satisfied that, considering that these are the times we are facing, the Government would pause to recognise the cry of its people, especially with us here at BPL, so I give God thanks for that.

“But it’s up to them now. Ultimately, the decision is with the membership. I’m just the messenger and I don’t even really have a vote on it. I would just take it to the people and let them decide.”

Mr Wilson also warned: “A lot of situations are still before conciliation and before the tribunals. We are still trying to hammer out as we go along, slowly but surely. But this was a big question mark as far as the future and a contract was concerned. The majority of the members so far have expressed a positive view that what is being offered is fair based on what we are facing as a country.”