The Tribune

• Case centres on dismissal of Royal Towers shop steward

• Labour Director says union 'did what they supposed to do'

• Chief blames recent issues on 'particular person' at resort

By Fay Simmons

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

A TRADE dispute has been filed over the dismissal of a chief shop steward by Atlantis, the director of Labour confirmed yesterday, who said that unions “did what they was supposed to do”.

Robert Farquharson said members of the Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) filed a trade dispute with the Department of Labour last week over the dismissal of Princess Adderley, a chief shop steward at Atlantis Royal Towers.

He said: “Those persons would have come here to file a trade dispute, they followed under section 68 of the law, and they did what they was supposed to do. We have no say in it other than we are scheduling a consideration hearing for that.

“Under the normal procedures, they have filed a trade dispute and we are under the law following the process under Section 68, which is the normal process, which is they have a matter, the matter has been filed, and the process is going on as normal.”

Darrin Woods, BHCAWU president, said the union has requested an appeal from Atlantis yesterday. He said they are preparing their case and remain hopeful that the “truth will prevail”.

He said: “We just wrote for an appeal with the hotel. I expect for the truth to prevail based on what we know the facts are, and particularly now that we see what they actually put on the suspension and termination. “

“We hope to once we get an opportunity to have the appeal that the appeal will reiterate on its merits and on whatever decision is made will be made on the merits of the case and the facts that lie therein, So as soon as they give it to us we will be prepared.”

Mr Woods said the BHCAWU will be agitating for legislative changes to protect employees of private companies that may not be as open to negotiations with the union as the government.

He said: “At the hotel union, we represent employees in private employ, the other unions may not face the same problems that we face because most of them, for the most part are either government or quasi government. So the stance that a private employer will take the government will never take or would not take. “

“We will be agitating for some other things because we believe that some changes need to be made in legislation to protect officers of the union and shop stewards of union. We definitely need greater protection for unions to have access to its members in some form or fashion by the law.”

The BHCAWU chief also criticised the lack of regulations for employers in the Industrial Relations Act and called for a legislative reformation to increase accountability. He said the Trade Union Congress will be facilitating a meeting for all of the unions to discuss legislative changes.

He said: “If you look at the law as it is written now, particularly the Industrial Relations Act that only speaks to how the union is to be governed and how the union should conduct themselves and how the union is to act but there’s nothing that says how an employer is supposed to be governed and how they’re supposed to conduct themselves.

“So it seems as if there’s law that governs the union, but nothing governs the employer. So definitely there needs to be reformation of our law and we are planning a meeting with all of the congresses to involve all of the unions so we could be speaking with one voice in order to get some form of protection for unions and workers across this country.”

Mr Woods also accused Atlantis of attempting to “strong arm” the union by creating discord between the employees and the BHCAWU.

He said: “I believe they tried to strong arm the union. and send a message to the employees as a result of the stance that they took, rather than addressing the root cause of the problem”

“For them, they are trying to muzzle the union, they don’t want the union on the property, and that’s a fact. They don’t want the union on the property so they try to make it difficult and anything to try to come between the union and its members or cast the union in a particular light with its members they are prepared to do so and this is why the union needs greater protection against employers like this.”

Mr Woods blamed the recent issues with Atlantis on changes to the management and warned that unions are imbedded into the fabric of Bahamian society and they will not be backing down or leaving.

He said: “Since a particular person came, we began to have this problem and we never had a problem before. The union has been in existence for 65 years come December this year. And as long as you can remember, you’ve never hear the union have to talk about access [to employees]. Of course, we got differences of opinion. But it has never gone to the level that it has gone, only in recent times”

“They don’t like union. But you have to understand you came to this country you met union here, unions are part of the fabric of our society. But if you don’t like union, then don’t be where unions are because we ain’t going anywhere. As much as you try to fight we ain’t going nowhere. We are not going anywhere.”