The Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

THE union representing employees of the Water and Sewerage Corporation supports the “rescinding” of last-minute staff promotions which landed on the eve of the country’s general election.

Over the weekend, a letter signed by WSC’s General Manager Elwood Donaldson made the rounds on social media. That letter, dated September 23 informed an employee that their promotion was being “rescinded” and that their job status would revert to whatever it was before September 1.

The letter states that “all promotions effective September 1, 2021 have been placed on hold pending further review”.

The letter was signed by Mr Donaldson, but it said it was rescinding the promotions, “per directive received from the general manager.”

The Tribune spoke with Dwayne Woods, president of the Bahamas Utilities Service and Allied Workers Union, yesterday. He said the promotions were rescinded after his union petitioned the WSC general manager and new Prime Minister Philip “Brave” Davis.

“We wrote Mr Donaldson complaining and copied it as highest as the current prime minister,” Mr Woods said. “We asked that the list be stopped, cancelled and reviewed and that is what brought rise to the letter you are seeing now.

“The letter you are seeing is indicative of who they are promoting. It makes no sense because Mr Donaldson cannot be writing the letter and then signing it and saying as directed by the office of the general manager.

“So the union contended that due process was not followed. Middle management, executive management nor the board had any participation in the promotion exercise and therefore we called for the list to be stopped, cancelled and reviewed. They camouflaged the list with just a few deserving persons.”

Mr Woods alleges that the promotions, minus the “camouflaged”, were done in an attempt to garner votes for the former Free National Movement government. In fact, he said it to the WSC general manager in a letter dated September 17.

“The union is of the view that the executive chairman and yourself carried out such an exercise in an attempt to solicit votes for the former government in the most recent general election,” Mr Woods wrote.

“All of this was done without due regard to the proper contractual promotional policies or due process as contained within the industrial agreement between the Water and Sewerage Corporation and the Bahamas Utilities Services and Allied Workers Union dated 1st July, 2013 – 30th June, 2018,” Mr Woods’ letter noted.

His letter also stated that “this political promotion exercise” disenfranchises deserving employees and will result in the demotivation of employees.

Mr Woods explained how the recent WSC promotion process was carried out.

“What happened is this,” he said. “The corporation, two days before election, the day before election, Election Day and the day after Election Day subsequently promoted, first 58 persons. They came back and increased the amount to 62 a day later and then carried it up to 72 on Election Day. They came back the day after election and promoted one person who was promoted already to a higher level.

“The union demonstrated against the initial two lists – the first list and the amended list on September 15. The first promotion list came out on September 14.”

He said more people were promoted and some staff made permanent after the union demonstrated.

He explained that his union had presented its own list of proposed promotions to management.

“We had a list before management for consideration for persons who were well deserving and were not given promotions from anywhere from 10 years to 25 years,” Mr Woods said. “We have persons who were benefiting because of political persuasion. They were benefitting two and three times within this one administration of four years.”

The Tribune obtained a copy of the WSC industrial agreement. Article 3(C) of the agreement states that WSC retains the right “to promote, retire, transfer, (and) rotate."

The WSC source who provided The Tribune with the industrial agreement accused Mr Woods of being disingenuous and not looking after the interest of his staff.

"What I don't understand is how the union can push for rescinding something that benefits its members," the WSC source said. "The members got promotions. I am certain that there were FNMs, PLPs and others in that grouping that got the promotions. Woods is so driven and blinded by revenge for the former chairman that he cannot see that his members were winning.

"Now his members should re-evaluate if their union is really working on their behalf. Management is well within its rights to promote the staff. Management, according to the industrial agreement, does not have to consult the board or the union to promote staff. The staff should question Woods on why he stood in their way to advancement."