Comes as ties severed with chair, top manager Union chief warns over three stage action
By NEIL HARTNELL
nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
A Cabinet minister last night reminded the Water & Sewerage Corporation s two unions the utility loses money every day after they moved to cut-off all contact with its chairman and general manager.
Desmond Bannister, deputy prime minister and minister of works, told Tribune Business both the middle management and line staff needed to see the wider picture and appreciate that there will be Bahamians who cannot eat and feed their families this Christmas as they launched stage one of their industrial action.
Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) President Darrin Woods. (FILE PHOTO)
NASSAU, BAHAMAS Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) President Darrin Woods yesterday expressed concern that the COVID-19 pandemic is being used as a means to alter the terms and conditions of employment for hotel workers.
Speaking with
Eyewitness News yesterday, Woods said the union was glad that many hotel workers across the country are returning to their jobs just before Christmas after the industry had been brought to an abrupt shutdown due to the pandemic.
“We are glad that the hotels are reopening and there are persons returning to work. We do, however, have some concerns over the changes that management is making in order for persons to go back to work. Definitely we have to address those,” said Woods.
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nhartnell@tribunemedia.net
Major Bahamian resorts were yesterday accused of blindsiding the hotel union and its members by altering contractually-agreed Christmas bonuses without any prior warning.
Darrin Woods, the Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union s (BHCAWU) president, told Tribune Business that despite the joy surrounding the recall of several thousand hotel workers he cannot allow all their rights to be taken away .
Echoing similar concerns to those raised at the Water & Sewerage Corporation and the Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) franchise, Mr Woods said this year s change to Christmas bonuses amounted to a unilateral variation of the terms and conditions contained in the union s industrial agreement that covers multiple resort properties.
A long line of customers wait in line at a KFC drive-thru in March 2020 shortly after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. (FILE PHOTO)
NASSAU, BAHAMAS Restaurants Bahamas Limited, operators of KFC Nassau, said that despite its revenue taking a “major hit” due to the COVID-19 lockdowns and restrictions, KFC Nassau staff and managers will receive their full Christmas bonus.
The company said in a statement that it saw no revenue in August, while noting that its affiliate Luciano’s did not survive. The company said it has asked the Bahamas Managerial Association (BHMA) and the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) that represent its managers and employees for understanding as they seek to split the bonus payment into two parts.