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UPDATED: Hotel union stages protest at Sidney Poitier Bridge

The scene at the Sidney Poitier Bridge on Thursday morning. Photo: Dante Carrer

The scene at the Sidney Poitier Bridge on Thursday morning. Photo: Dante Carrer

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From left are Bahamas Taxi Cab Union President Wesley Ferguson, Bahamas Union of Teachers President Belinda Wilson and President of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) Darren Woods. Photo: Dante Carrer

THURSDAY MORNING UPDATE: Members of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) staged a protest at the Sidney Poitier Bridge this morning.

FROM EARLIER:

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

MEMBERS of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) plan to hold a potentially disruptive protest at the Sidney Poitier Bridge this morning.

Their failed efforts to get an eight per cent increase in their salary is prompting the protest.

Other trade unions, including the Bahamas National Alliance of Trade Union Congress (BNATUC) and the Bahamas Taxicab Union (BTU), plan to stand in solidarity with the hotel union this morning, The Tribune was told.

Asked if the hotel union planned to block off the Sidney Poitier Bridge, one hotel member who spoke anonymously because they were not authorised to speak on behalf of the union said it “will do whatever it takes.”

The disruption follows earlier threats of action from the taxi union, which pledged a battle against Atlantis over their concerns.

Wesley Ferguson, the union’s president, told Tribune Business that his members are “not having it in 2024” as he asserted that Atlantis’ track record of having “lost all” previous confrontations with the taxi drivers will continue.

“It seems as if all they want to do is re-group and come back at it at a different angle, but whatever angle Atlantis chooses to come with, the BTCU is not having it in 2024,” he declared. “Because in this day and time it is barbaric when you are going to inconvenience tourists who come from the cruise ship.”

Last July, the BHCAWU protested in front of the Department of Labour after Atlantis fired one of its shop stewards.

Comments

bahamianson 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Wow, every problem in the country is about money . That is one of the reasons why we have a crime problem. Greed is a vexing monster. People always want more and more and never get enough. Guess what, when they get what they want ; they will want more. After that. They will want more. Again. It is never enough.

JokeyJack 9 months, 3 weeks ago

They not having it this year?????? But they just had friends vote mainly PLP & FNM in West End a few weeks agp? LOL

bahamianson 9 months, 3 weeks ago

Actually, Atlantis should close down . Let the people whom want more open up their own hotel and take all the risks. Let every hotel close. And we will eat each other. Let the steong survive.

trueBahamian 9 months, 3 weeks ago

This article should have clarified what the issue was with the taxi drivers and Atlantis. On the pay increase, the cost of living is high. So, it makes sense to ask for an increase. The article should have stated when the last increase was done. I see that the responses here are pro-Atlantis. Let's not forget these are the same folks fighting like warlords against the Wendy's and Marcos pizza going over PI. If the union is being reasonable Atlantis should listen and try to find a compromise if the ask is too much.

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