The Tribune

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Electrical Workers Union (BEWU) has dropped its affiliation with the Bahamas National Congress of Trade Unions (NCTU), describing the umbrella body as “a sinking ship” that seems to be divided.

Kyle Wilson, the union’s president, told Tribune Business that “a house divided cannot stand” as he revealed that the BEWU has switched its allegiance to the rival Trades Union Congress (TUC) led by attorney Obie Ferguson.

He said: “There are two umbrella congresses, but we switched allegiances to the TUC, creating a more galvanised set of unions so we can all galvanise as one under one Congress.

“So we have now the Customs, Immigration and Allied Workers Union, along with both doctors’ unions and now with both Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) unions in the same Congress, in addition to the air traffic controllers and the likes. It gives us a stronger front when taking on issues.”

The disunity in the NCTU emerged after both umbrella union bodies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the then-Opposition Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) just days before the 2021 general elections. Several trade unions under the NCTU umbrella subsequently said they had not been consulted over the MoU, and objected to telling their members how to vote on election day.

Mr Wilson said: “Currently the NCTU is like a shadow of what it could be. There’s a lot of factions. Then you know the BEWU supported the MoU signed by the PLP, but you had other members of the NCTU who are fighting against it.”

Hailing the MoU as a document that represents “workers’ rights”, Mr Wilson encouraged all Bahamians to read it for themselves and see that it is “strictly about giving rights to workers”.

Mr Wilson added: “The NCTU not coming into full agreement with the MoU was not a good look for them because a house divided cannot stand. So I didn’t want to stay on what is perceived to be a sinking ship, because for the past three years they would have been embroiled in a leadership court battle and they haven’t had elections in over four years.

“There seems to be a struggle for power in the NCTU rather than a struggle for workers’ rights, so I said I don’t want to be associated with all of that. I want to go to a place that has structure. It doesn’t seem as if they respect Bernard Evans (NCTU president). He does a good job, but it seems to be persons that are not respecting his leadership and it is creating a lot of challenges for the Congress.”