Labour director 'extremely confident' tripartite forum remains impartial

Wed, Nov 25th 2015, 09:59 AM

Director of Labour Robert Farquharson stated yesterday that he is "extremely confident" the National Tripartite Council (NTC) has retained its impartiality, dismissing any assertions that the council had unduly sided against the country's trade unionists as one of the country's largest trade union bodies takes steps to bolster its strike provisions.

Speaking with Guardian Business, Farquharson said that the National Trade Union Congress of The Bahamas' (NCTU) recent vote in favor of establishing a strike fund did not concern him, stating that strike funds were part of "standard operating procedures" for any national union.

Farquharson was responding to recent comments made by NCTU President John Pinder, who recently revealed that the NCTU last week voted in favor of a strike fund for the umbrella organization. Pinder earlier this week told Guardian Business that the NTC is a "work in progress". A strike fund does not necessarily mean a strike. I think the NCTU and the TUC are committed to trying to resolve all matters without having to resort to strike.

"I am extremely confident that the National Tripartite Council is keeping its degree of independence. In fact, many of the recommendations that come before us to discuss various issues have been presented, analyzed and debated very, very independently," said Farquharson.

However, Pinder stated that the strike fund was a "proactive" measure in the event that the NTC did not rule in favor of the country's labor unions, citing ongoing labor disputes before the NTC.

"Now with the tripartite council in place that's a plus that they're able to also assist, but still there are times where they rule in the best interest of their people. If it's not an agreeable resolution you may still have to resort to your strike vote," said Pinder.

The NTC, a labor body comprised of equal representation from the country's trade unions, government and private sector, was established earlier this year to address issues facing the country's workforce. The NTC's first major action - increasing the national minimum wage for private sector employees - was widely celebrated as a promising start for the labor body. However, the amended minimum wage, which was increased from $150 per week to $210 per week, fell far closer to the NTC private sector representation's proposal ($204 per week) than that of the of the NTC's trade unionists (up to $350 per week).

"We don't always come to a 100 percent agreement but we understand the concept of the National Tripartite Council where the majority rules and we submit our recommendations only after," Farquharson added.

Aside from the minimum wage debate, the country's trade unions and employers have several outstanding issues that will likely find their way into the NTC's deliberations, including introducing flex time throughout the public service and lingering union gripes within the hotel industry.

Chief among those, according to Pinder, is the Melia Nassau Beach resort's decision to cease carrying out salary deductions for union dues on behalf of the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union following a Supreme Court ruling in September.

"Part of the tripartite council is challenging that and so even though there's a tripartite council sometimes they have the best interest of the employer but they don't see the need to legislate that it should be mandatory that once a trade union has recognition the employer ought to accommodate the salary deduction for the union due," Pinder stated.

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