The Nassau Guardian
TUC leader puts workers on notice
Trade Union Congress (TUC) President Obie Ferguson put thousands of workers across the country on notice last night as the umbrella union gears up for “mass industrial action” in the coming days.
He said if the government does not resolve what he called a myriad of outstanding labor concerns, the TUC and the unions that fall under it will “level the playing field” in order to bring “respect and sanity in the workplace”.
“Stand with me and my colleagues for a few days to bring full recognition to you as workers and your right to an equal share in the economic and social fiber of this country,” said Ferguson at a mass rally at St. Gregory’s Anglican Church on Carmichael Road.
“I call on all trade unions to file a trade dispute on any unresolved matter that exists in your union as a precursor to the plan.
“And I call on all workers in The Bahamas to listen to the announcements and follow the instruction to be given as to what you ought to do over the next two to three days of withdrawal of our labor, designed to level the playing field and to bring respect and sanity in the workplace.”
Ferguson said the Department of Labour has been “reduced to a toothless poodle”, which lacks relevance and effectiveness.
He said with only two conciliation hearings per day, the department is not productive and has allowed a “clogging of the system, the effect of which the users of the system have become disenchanted with the system”.
He also said the Industrial Tribunal is not designed to assist the working class.
Ferguson said if an employee is awarded money, and the employer refuses to pay, the tribunal has no authority to enforce its ruling.
The TUC president said this means an employee is forced to pursue the matter in the Supreme Court at a cost.
“This process would cost the worker approximately $2,500,” he said. “Does that make sense?”
Ferguson noted that the umbrella union made several recommendations to the government in 2012 aimed at revising the Employment Act to better protect and provide for employees.
Some of those recommendations include making notice required before redundancy, expanding the redundancy provision of the act to take into consideration years of service and legislating that workers get their redundancy and gratuity on termination.
The union also recommended that the government create a redundancy fund to ensure workers are provided for when a company claims bankruptcy or financial ruin, among other things.
Ferguson said there are 11 unions that fall under the TUC that have not signed off on their respective agreements with the government.
He said the government does not appear to respect Bahamian workers or trade union leaders.
Ferguson also expressed concern about workers being dismissed and rehired on contract.
He spoke of the 30 former full-time security officers at the Grand Lucayan resort who were rehired on contract.
He said those workers are no longer entitled to vacation, sick pay, pension and the right to file a dispute if they feel they have been unfairly dismissed in the future.
“We as leaders of the workers cannot sit idly by and allow that type of situation to occur to workers in The Bahamas,” he said.
“To allow that kind of situation to continue without doing what we are doing tonight, would in my opinion amount to a fundamental breach of our sacred responsibility to the workers of this land.”
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