February 11, 2014

Dear Sir,

We have just been through another industrial fiasco that has brought our country to the brink even in the best of economic times, this of course being the worst. The villain in this sad and unnecessary joust between management and the BIU was the Fairmount Hamilton Princess Hotel. What happened? Well the hotel did not comply with the letter of the collective agreement re consultation with the BIU over any redundancies.

So now we are to understand that the collective agreement is sacrosanct and should never be broken under any circumstances. There is no case to be made for the hotel in this instance as to not being totally wrong. It amazes me how we can see with crystal clarity when employers are wrong and need to be dealt with by some form of industrial action to achieve redress, but when the BIU are on the wrong side of the argument we choose to be blind or look the other way!

As long as any trade union can call for wildcat work stoppages by unrelated divisions that are not involved in a single dispute with a division to bully a resolution in their favour it removes right and wrong from the process!

The BIU has might and therefore are perceived to be right when calling on all of its divisions in sympathy even when they are clearly wrong.

What about 21 day notice of strike action written in collective agreements or the law? Why do we not call the BIU out on past egregious breaches in this matter over many years? When management is wrong or perceived to be wrong we all pay the price with downing of tools for the BIU to ramrod its position on the country while often breaking the collective agreement concerning strike notice.

If management cannot break the collective agreement with impunity then I ask why should the union be able to do so? Clearly trade unions continue to be a necessary and a viable force to be reckoned with in a fair and just society when the tyranny of unscrupulous employers still exist to protect the rights of workers.

What about the often tyranny of the BIU on the rest of us to be able to get on with our lives lawfully. If we are honest we will admit to laws being ignored and re 21 day strike notice and the public given short shrift when the BIU march in the streets. Right and wrong are dismissed when hundreds of people march and sing we shall overcome irrespective of disruption and bringing to a halt industrial peace.

If the collective agreement is the holy grail between the employer and the union and should never be violated by either, then I ask when did not we make the BIU accountable for it its actions in this last dispute with Hamilton Princess who in fact were not the only ones guilty of wrong doing recently. Are we so afraid of trade unions that we are prepared to buckle under any intimidating practices by a group that appear to be above the law.

When we will we see the next island wide strike called? Perhaps when the government has to implement some of the SAGE commissions recommendations to help us find ways to stave off economic oblivion!

I am a paid up BIU member who also happens to be fed up!

BIU Member