BPSU president filed for injunction after being deemed “ineligible”
NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The National Congress of Trade Unions Bahamas (NCTUB) elections have been stalled by a Supreme Court order after Bahamas Public Services Union (BPSU) president Kimsley Ferguson filed an injunction to prevent the election from moving forward.
According to reliable sources, Ferguson was allegedly deemed ineligible by the NCTUB to participate in the executive race initially set for Wednesday, December 4.
The BPSU president was running for first vice president.
Court documents obtained by Eyewitness News Online reveal Justice Ian Winder “restrained” the NCTUB from holding their election of officers without Ferguson until the matter is heard in court today.
The court order, dated December 3, read: “The Defendants whether by themselves or by their servants, agents, officers, or otherwise howsoever be and are hereby restrained from conducting or purporting to conduct Election of Officers of The National Congress of Trade Unions of The Bahamas on Wednesday the 4th day of December 2019 or otherwise without the participation of the Plaintiffs and members of The Bahamas Public Services Union, until 5 pm on the 6th day of December 2019.”
Eyewitness News Online spoke with NCTUB President, Bernard Evans, who explained Ferguson reportedly did not meet the standards of NCTUB’s constitution.
“According to our constitution, the NCTUB’s constitution, you have to be at least 6 months minimum in arrears,” Evans said.
“Based on the figures that were presented to us, Mr. Ferguson and the BPSU, are not eligible to run because they’re not financial. Their trustees sent us a letter requesting a refund of the monies that they paid with an attempt to legitimize themselves.”
Evans said: “The NCTUB executive board at this status right now decided that we can not in good conscience violate the constitution and allow them to sit.”
“We will go to court tomorrow at noon and the judge will have to tell us that we are wrong or we are right.”
A number of leading trade unionists on Sunday announced their candidacy for the delayed NCTUB election at The British Colonial Hilton Hotel.
Those unionists included Bahamas Union Teachers (BUT) President Belinda Wilson; Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) President Dino Rolle; Airline and Allied Workers Union (AAAW) General Secretary Susan Palmer; Bahamas Financial Services Union (BFSU) President Theresa Mortimer and Bahamas Hotel, Catering and Allied Workers Union (BHCAWU) General Secretary Sheila Burrows.
