The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

 SOME staff members at Bahamas Technical Vocational Institute have issued a clarion call for the Davis administration not to consider board chairman Kevin Basden for reappointment.

The Union of Tertiary Educators of The Bahamas, the bargaining agent for workers at BTVI, said workers are prepared to stage industrial action over the issue.

 Mr Basden, an eight-year board member, was first appointed as deputy chairman on the BTVI board during the 2012 Christie administration. He stayed on after the election in 2017 and was later appointed to the post of chairman by the Minnis administration.

 Over the years, tension has grown between the staff and executives at BTVI with allegations of mistreatment and suppression of staff advancement.

 Several BTVI staff spoke to The Tribune yesterday claiming that they are prepared to withdraw their services if Mr Basden returns to the board.

 “For the past few weeks there has been a mass exodus of employees leaving because of the atrocious working conditions,” one staff member said. “A good number of them left without having any other jobs to go to. They just simply could not stay working under these conditions.

 “The situation at BTVI has become increasingly worse as it relates to employee rights and benefits when compared to other quasi-(government) institutions. It is so bad that the workers refer to the place as the plantation. Mr Basden has not benefited us. We have no career paths at BTVI. How can there be a tertiary institution that does not have a proper human resource department to shape up the advancement of staff?”

 The staff member does not want to see Mr Basden returned to the board.

“. . .We are asking this government to look at the record of this board and the past board that Mr Basden also served on. Nothing but wastage was accomplished and the staff was always in turmoil,” the worker alleged.

 The employee said workers want their salaries to be increased, among other things.

 “BTVI staff and teachers are the worst paid. We want an educational advancement policy that would reward employees when they improve themselves academically as this also benefits the school. This policy does not exist in an academic institution. Imagine that.

 “We want our two years increment added to our salaries now and our back pay from July 2020 just like the faculty and staff UB got. We are not happy with the bonus they gave us to shut our mouths. We need our increments before this year ends. Most of all we want respect. The faculty and staff will no longer sit by and allow ourselves to be mistreated.

 “We will do what is legal and what is necessary to stop the abuse that we have endured for so many years. So if we have to, we will report to work in front of the president’s office if things do not change.”

 The employee is hopeful the new Minister of State for Education, Technical and Vocational Training Zane Lightbourne, a former unionist, can help in this situation.

 UTEB became recognised as the bargaining agent for BTVI staff and faculty on June 28 of this year.

 The Tribune also spoke with Daniel Thompson, UTEB’s president, who noted that the staff members are members of his union who said they have had enough.

 “I’ve heard the complaints from the membership,” Mr Thompson said. “I know that quite a few of them have expressed significant anxiety and concern about the possibility of Mr Kevin Basden returning to BTVI.

 “. . .If you can recall it was under his administration that this whole idea of us having one of our members fired and we are still waiting for the evidence and the matter is still live and active. His tenure isn’t really deserving of a return.

 “People are looking for what is referred to as ‘a new day’ and the scripture says you don’t put new wine in old skin. So it is imperative that he is not reappointed. Union members have expressed that if he is reappointed there will be industrial action. They are not prepared to work under him under no condition whatsoever.”

 He also said: “They are prepared to strike if Basden is given another five years. They will come to work but no work will get done if Kevin Basden remains on the board.”

 The union also has issues with the leadership style of BTVI president, Dr Robert Robertson, however Mr Thompson said his group is not that focused on him because his contract will naturally come to an end.

 Mr Basden was not available for comment yesterday.