BAHAMA JOURNAL
5th April 2006
NCTU Threatens COB Council
By Quincy Parker
The National Congress of Trade Unions (NCTU) is threatening that pressure will be brought to bear on the College of the Bahamas if an industrial agreement between the college and the Union of Tertiary Educators of the Bahamas (UTEB) is not signed by April 13.
"The (NCTU) hereby cautions the chairman and members of his Council, as well as the management team of COB, that if the agreement is not signed on or before April 13, 2006, the NCTU will call on their affiliates to take steps to bring pressure on (COB) to ensure that the rights of the members of UTEB are not violated," the NCTU statement reads.
The agreement was negotiated over the last three years, during which time UTEB has been without a contract, and in a blistering statement released on Tuesday, the NCTU expressed outrage that the agreement remains unsigned.
"The NCTU is of the view that the refusal of Chairman Wilson to sign and register the negotiated industrial agreement is in violation of the statute laws and an abuse of power," the statement reads.
According to the NCTU statement UTEB, the union representing mainly COB faculty, came to concord with Acting President Dr. Rhonda Chipman-Johnson on the proposed industrial agreement. As the agreement had yet to be signed as of Monday, the NCTU accused the college Council of violating Sections 48 and 51 of the Industrial Relations Act.
And because the agreement remains unsigned, the NCTU also accused Mr. Wilson of an "abuse of power." The NCTU failed to show exactly how Mr. Wilson abused his power.
The NCTU called on Mr. Wilson to sign the agreement, and Minister of Education Alfred Sears to ensure that he did so, by April 13, or "pressure" would be brought to bear on COB by all the affiliates of the NCTU.
In the statement, the NCTU notes that the council has already implemented some of the terms and conditions included in the proposed agreement.
"There is no excuse for (not signing the agreement) since the acting president of the College of The Bahamas sat and negotiated in good faith a new industrial agreement, signed off on all the articles of the agreement and employees have been paid some of the benefits as outlined in the agreement," the statement reads.
"(There is no excuse) that there is still delay in signing it."
Mr. Wilson said on Friday that while management of COB had negotiated the agreement, it has to be approved by the Council and the Council had not yet had a chance to look at the document.
He also assured that despite what some people may be portraying, the College of The Bahamas is not in crisis.