National Congress of Trade Unions of the Bahamas (NCTUB) General Secretary Jennifer Isaacs-Dotson said yesterday the umbrella union is ready to stand with employees of the Bahamas Telecommunications Company (BTC) if they decide to take action next week.

BTC reportedly intends to make redundant 140 employees next Tuesday.

"The trade union movement is saddened and I still call on workers today to get ready because it is not getting any better
in this country," Isaacs-Dotson said outside Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) headquarters.

"When are you going to say enough is enough?

"When are we going to say that we are ready for this revolution because it is going to have to come to send a clear message to any government that is in power that Bahamians are sick and tired of the foolishness?"

BCPOU President Bernard Evans said BTC informed him of the redundancies during a near three hour-long meeting on Thursday. He said yesterday that he met with over 300 members on Thursday night and over 100 yesterday morning.

"It was a very emotional meeting. Some of my members were ready to take action. I personally tried to calm them down because they were ready for action," Evans said.

"Overall, we are trying to get what's best for our members.

"But I can't hold them back. I'm probably only holding on by a thread and that's ready to pop and when it pops anything could happen."

Evans said he was told redundancies will occur in outside planning, construction, directory publications and two flagship stores including the one at the Mall at Marathon, and in other areas.

The Guardian also understands there are redundancies planned for field services in the areas of maintenance and underground cable development, as well as bill printing and the warehouse.

The company offered voluntary separation package (VSEP) applications in March. However, in a statement to employees that month, the company said because of the small number of applicants it would move ahead with reducing staff by redundancies.

Isaacs-Dotson said this ordeal proves that the government does not care.

"This government has yet to show me that they believe in Bahamians," she said.

"There is no way that we, who supposedly own 51 percent of the shares in this company, can allow it to get rid of 140 employees.

"As I said last night, BTC sponsors carnival, CARIFTA [and] IAAF; BTC sponsors everything.

"I think this government needs to let BTC know that that is unacceptable.

"When are we going to stand up for Bahamians in this country and say no? Is that not the principle that [former Prime Minister the late] Sir Lynden [Pindling] built on?

"I bet if Sir Lynden was still living that would not happen."

Evans said BTC CEO Leon Williams contacted him this week to reach some sort of "improvements" regarding the ordeal.

"However, we are still awaiting that in writing affixed with his signature," Evans said.

Evans said the "improvements" relate to two areas, the first being the union's outstanding industrial agreement.

"The offer on that has been almost insulting," he said.

"So we are trying to get an improvement on that.

"Then you have this matter of outsourcing and redundancies.

"The due process and consultation, none of that took place and we were void of that opportunity to sit down and go through it. So that is another matter."

Evans said the union plans to seek help from Prime Minister Perry Christie.

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