March 5, 2014

Dear Sir,

The fire service, police service and the hospital are essential services because the consequences of withdrawing labour could potentially lead to death if an emergency arose in any of these services. In fact the airport is probably included as an essential service because any holdup airlifting patients for medical treatment abroad could put their lives at risk.

Public transportation is not an essential service. Attempts by the OBA to include ferry and bus services as an essential service will quite rightly be met with massive opposition because it is nothing more than union busting.

Our legislation provides for the right of workers to withdraw their labour having gone through the appropriate grievance procedure. And therein lies the problem as the BIU has evidently not abided by its own collective bargaining agreement to give 30 days (less/more) notice.

The Fairmont Princess broke the collective bargaining agreement by firing nine workers without due process as a cost-saving measure. In response, and without notice, the BIU members withdrew their labour without due process. However, in this particular instance there was great public support for their actions, including mine because of the despicable way the hotel treated their workers. The advanced notice to parents that public transport workers would come out in sympathy and not be transporting students was appreciated.

Following the hotel one-day strike, Marine and Ports workers downed tools without notice over their grievances. This was not a good strategy and was probably the final straw that led to the OBA’s absurd decision to place public transport as an essential service. It appears that the public agreed with the Marine and Ports workers that the poor maintenance of ferries and poor management was a sound reason for a grievance. The Marine and Ports unionised workers public announcement of all the failings in this department was delivered eloquently and the public is disgusted that our ferries are in such a sad state of affairs, particularly as tourism season approaches. Notice of withdrawing labour should have been given though, and in this particular instance the BIU leadership should not have encouraged its workforce to break its collective agreement.

It concerns me greatly, that many of the issues of poor maintenance and management within the civil service were apparent for many years before the OBA were voted to power; and yet the workers only now seem to be voicing publicly their concerns. Does that mean under our former labour government there was a silent code within the civil service? It appears that problems of great magnitude were not spoken or complained about publicly (including the BPSU and BIU) either because there was a culture of intimidation, or, because the workers did not want to speak poorly of the PLP whom they most likely voted for. The silence seems to have been broken only because the OBA is in power. Courage is needed to speak out against wrongs, my people, no matter who is in power because look at the ramifications we are facing as a result of that silence.

To the OBA I say this; if you try to place public transportation as essential service then you will be taking the Island back to 1981. There is no denying that as a former BIU officer within the print industry I obviously am pro-union, but it is time for the leadership to recognise they must abide by their own collective agreements by giving notice before withdrawing labour, to not do so would be hypocritical.

CHERYL POOLEY