Even though members of the Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) voted overwhelmingly in favor of a strike vote yesterday, the vote may not be certified, as there is no evidence that the union filed a valid trade dispute, Minister of Labour Dion Foulkes revealed yesterday. According to the unofficial results, BCPOU members voted in favor of the strike vote 434 to 11, BCPOU President Bernard Evans said yesterday. The union made an application for a strike vote last week, as negotiations for a new industrial agreement stalled on the matter of salary increases for the Bahamas Telecommunications Company's (BTC) line staff. Evans said negotiations have been at an impasse for too long, noting the union is hoping to strike an amicable deal with BTC executives. If a deal cannot be negotiated, he said the Ministry of Labour may have to step in. "Failing that we are now on the right side of the law to withdraw labor," Evans said. But FouIkes said up to yesterday evening it was still unclear whether the union filed a valid trade dispute, upon which the strike vote was based. In order for the strike vote to be certified, a trade dispute would have had to be filed beforehand. "We would have to review our file to ensure that a valid trade dispute was filed. We have not found one and Evans had not provided one," Foulkes said. "If there is one, then the vote will be certified." Foulkes added that he told Evans earlier this week there was no evidence that a trade dispute had been filed. The union is hoping to negotiate a nine percent increase in the new contract. However, BTC has offered a four percent increase with a $4,000 lump sum, or a 4.5 percent increase with a $3,500 lump sum, Evans said. "Only recently BTC's management was boasting of how successful the company is. We don't think we are being unreasonable. There is no doubt that BTC makes money. It is the lone mobile provider in the country," Evans said. The BCPOU represents just under 700 workers, however, Evans estimated membership would drop to around 630 by the end of March.

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