The Tribune

By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

STAFF of the Bahamas Technical and Vocational Institute (BTVI) protested yesterday, claiming they have yet to receive the full benefits of last July’s industrial agreement between the Union of Tertiary Educators of the Bahamas (UTEB) and BTVI.

UTEB acting president Dr Anastasia Brown said BTVI’s staff gave up two increments to complete the industrial agreement and still cannot get all that was agreed. However, she said BTVI sent a letter indicating it only has 83 percent of the benefits outlined in the agreement and cannot give the full amount.

Dr Brown emailed BTVI president Dr Linda Davis last week asking if she had sent a letter to Financial Secretary (FS) Simon Wilson, who she said assured union officials “in meetings and after meetings” that the government would compensate for any financial deficiencies.

Dr Brown said she believes no letter was sent to Mr Wilson.

She said she has yet to hear from Dr Davis.

She believes BTVI has the money, but is keeping it.

“The FS did a wonderful job in negotiating a good package,” she said. “That’s the package they keep trying to block, but the government realises the importance of vocational education, and so they invested in human capital.”

“I said to someone this morning, the government sends down their mandate, sends down benefits to the people, but it’s the middleman who tries to make the government look bad and prevents the people from getting their benefits.”

BTVI staff protested last March in response to alleged victimisation. Dr Brown claims staff is now being victimised by having money withheld from them.

She said that for now, the union would wait and see what happened.

“School opens in a couple weeks, 30 days, and we don’t want to do that, you know,” she said, referring to withdrawing services. “We really, really don’t want to do that, but we cannot allow you to disrespect the faculty.”