Calls for calm heads as labour chaos looms

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17: Bermuda could descend into chaos amid a series of labour disputes unless leaders on all sides work together to find a new ‘economic model’.

Dockworkers, bus drivers, prison officers and city trash collectors are all involved in separate showdowns with their employers.

And several other disputes are understood to be bubbling beneath the surface with the potential for further industrial action before the end of the summer.

BPSU chief Ed Ball yesterday called for a new pact between employers, Government and the unions to sort out Bermuda’s economy and keep people in work.

He criticized some employers for being too quick to cut jobs in order to balance budgets.

But he conceded that workers needed to accept the reality of Bermuda’s new economy. He said honesty and compromise were required on all sides.

“The unions, Government and employers need to sit around the table so we can jointly agree on a new economic model. It is more important now than ever.

“If we don’t see leadership amongst those partners we are going to have chaos.”

Kim Wilson, minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, made a similar plea for calm heads to prevail last night.

She warned that “labour unrest” had a serious effect on Bermuda’s fragile economy and said the people were “growing weary” of interruptions in services.

“These are delicate times that we are currently living in and it is my hope that all parties would exhaust every single available avenue to find common ground solutions before engaging in snap industrial action.”

Phil Barnett, immediate past president of the Chamber of Commerce, agreed that Bermuda had to find a new way of working.

He said most employers were doing everything they could to keep people in work.

But he warned it was becoming increasingly tough for businesses to stay afloat.

“So many of these issues  - particularly the docks situation – are down to the fact that the economy stinks.

“At the moment businesses are just trying to lose as little as possible – breaking even is a success.”

He said cuts in services were unhelpful and hurt the economy at a time when it could least afford it. And he echoed the call for employers and workers to come together to dig Bermuda out of economic crisis.

Mr Ball said partnership between all three stakeholders — Employers, Unions and Government — was the only solution.

He agreed that strikes should be a last resort but said some employers risked ‘inciting industrial action’ by ignoring the regulations of the Employment Act.

“There has to be negotiations when redundancies are being considered.

“We should be working hard to see how we can work together to ensure we keep jobs. We need to honestly tell each other what the true financial position is  - show the books and try to use alternatives to keep people employed.

“If you make people unemployed what are they supposed to do. Who is responsible for them?

“It can’t be that in Bermuda we cannot come up with suitable resolutions to our economic woes. I can’t believe that we are not that creative.”

His comments came after recent days of unrest which saw:

• Dockworkers begin an overtime ban over changes to their working week;

• Prison officers vote to give notice of industrial action over pay and conditions;

• Bus drivers threaten action over the suspension of a driver who did not take a drug test following an accident;

• Corporation of Hamilton workers down tools in support of a trash collector who was fired after slapping a girl who vertbally abused him.

There could be more to come.

The Bermuda Sun understands several other labour disputes are rumbling beneath the surface.

Kevin Grant, president of the BPSU, said industrial action would be a last resort. But he said times were tense and admitted ‘ a couple of departments’ were close to putting in 21-day notice of strikes.

“My union will try to work with the Government and the employers the best we can to make sure we are addressing the state of the economy in an appropriate way; however, in situations where our members are not being treated right we will represent them to the fullest. We will defend their rights and their benefits.

“We try to approach things a bit differently but we have just as much concerns. Our members have just as much concerns. I can tell you we are close to issuing strike notices.”