The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMAS Public Services Union president Kimsley Ferguson believes the government is using “union busting tactics” over a stalled industrial agreement for his members.

On Wednesday, BPSU members demonstrated outside Princess Margaret Hospital citing unfair promotion practices, outstanding industrial agreements and other unresolved grievances. Mr Ferguson said they were there for “the myriad of concerns” at the Public Hospital Authority and the Airport Authority.

The Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) later issued a press release which said PHA remains open to talks with the union on outstanding issues. It added that a proposed industrial agreement between it and BPSU was approved by PHA’s board of directors in May and a draft Cabinet paper relative to this was submitted to the Ministry of Health for further action on June 15.

When asked about the union’s next move after this revelation, Mr Ferguson was tightlipped. However, he expressed doubts that Cabinet would take so long to sign off on a proposal.

“This is September and no Cabinet paper takes that long,” he said. “I’m of the view that (the) government did not intend to give salary increases and I think that (the) government is using union busting tactics with a view to recursing our industrial agreements to expire, noting that these agreements will not be able to be registered and then hence unenforceable. And the union is not about to allow that to happen as these persons are a significant part of what keeps the machinery of this country going.”

On Wednesday, Mr Ferguson warned there could be major disruption in hospital and airport services if workers’ longstanding concerns are not immediately resolved.