No application for ‘lockout’ before Department of Labour, says director
NASSAU, BAHAMAS — Describing the increasing fuel prices as a “volatile” situation, Minister of Economic Affairs Michael Halkitis said yesterday that the government is “sympathetic” both to fuel retailers and consumers who have had to absorb the cost at the pump.
“The government is aware that the prices are high and it is causing a lot of anxiety, but we’re hopeful prices will normalize as we have seen the prices begin to come down,” Halkitis told Eyewitness News.
He continued: “The situation is volatile.
“We are sympathetic to their plight and the plight of the consumer.
“We continue to monitor the situation and we’re hopeful that the situation normalizes.”
This gas going up hurts us more than anyone else — GAS STATION RETAILER
Bahamas Petroleum Dealers Association (BPDA) Vice President Vasco Bastian warned last week that multiple members have called for a vote to be taken to stop providing the public fuel as the association awaits the government’s response on its plans to mitigate the rising fuel costs.
Vasco said he does not support the decision, but it remains to be seen whether pro-strike members will have their way.
When contacted, Director of Labour Robert Farquharson said he had received no application from the association for a lockout, a provision in law for employers to withdraw services.
“There is no provision in Bahamian law for a union of the employers to strike; there is a provision for unions of employees to strike and there are procedures by which they can strike,” the director said.
Asked whether employers could withdraw services of their own accord, Farquharson said: “What an employer can do is what they call a lock out… There is a provision for a lockout, but the Department of Labour has no application before it. We have no information regarding that.”
Meanwhile, a gas retailer, who did not wish to speak on record, said the public does not understand that the price of gas at the pump is decided by oil suppliers and the government, and gas retailers often find out hours before the change.
“Running a gas station is pretty hard and the profit is pretty low,” said the retailer, though he did not express a position on the lockout.
“The higher the gas goes the less the percentage of what our profit.
“You know, this gas going up hurts us more than anyone else. It hurt us. Of course, it hurts us.
Oil prices have surged above $100 per barrel since February, a knock-on effect of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The price at the pump has skyrocketed from just over $5 per gallon to well over $6 per gallon.
There has been continued speculation that the price could exceed $7.
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