NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The newly-formed Bahamas National Alliance Trade Union Congress (BNATUC), led by its president Belinda Wilson, and vice president Kimsley Ferguson, will focus on getting all outstanding industrial agreements completed with the government, before turning its attention to negotiating a favorable livable wage for workers in the country.
The new umbrella union is comprised of six unions and two affiliate associations.
These include the Airport Airline and Allied Workers Union, the Bahamas Financial Services Union, the Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union, the Bahamas Public Service Union, the Bahamas Taxi Cab Union, the Bahamas Teachers Union, the Police Staff Association and the Correctional Officers Staff Association.
These unions and affiliates have broken away from their affiliate umbrella union, the National Congress of Trade Unions Bahamas (NCTUB), months after expressing a lack of confidence in NCTUB President Bernard Evans.
“We pledge to support and strengthen each affiliate And our objectives are to promote the interests of the affiliates, to encourage cooperation among affiliates, to defend workers’ rights, to protect the democratic nature of the labor movement and to defend and support the vulnerable,” Wilson said.
“We will advocate for equitable fair terms of conditions. Our motto is protecting workers’ rights our logo is an umbrella.
“And let me let y’all know we did not choose this umbrella by mistake. It was intentional because we pledged to cover and protect all workers in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.
The umbrella union has also committed to monitoring labor legislation, participating in the National Tripartite process, examining the component of the MOU; increasing the number of its affiliates and further training and professional development, including a labor college with a focus on young trade unionists.
Asked about the timing of the union’s formation and its departure from its former affiliate, Wilson said: “We wanted to put it together because we want to make sure that we have a group that gives labor an opportunity to be sustainable. If you look at most of us, we’ve had years in the labor movement.
“So, we now are going to set the pace for a new group that will be able to participate not only in trade union work or just speaking about various issues in trade unions, but our focus is going to be on legislation.
“Our focus is going to be on research, development, training, so whenever you have those types of pillars, it gives you something that can last
“And so definitely I think it’s a good time. And we know going on this 61st Labor Day, I think it’s it’s an opportune time for us to start something new.
The BNATUC will honor the four women tragically killed on Labour Day in 2018 — Tami Williams-Gibson, Dian Gray-Ferguson, Tabitha Bethel-Haye and Kathleen Rodgers-Fernander — by holding a wreath-laying ceremony at the Garden, Zion Church on East and Shirley Streets on Friday at 9am.
The BNATUC’s board also includes Wesley Ferguson as second vice president, Susan Palmer as third vice president, Latoya Cartwright as fourth vice president, Theresa Mortimer as secretary-general, Shiel Burrows as assistant secretary-general; Marsha Bullard as treasurer; Cedricka Rolle as assistant treasurer; Narissa King and Virgil Bowe as trustees.
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