By DANA SMITH

Tribune Staff Reporter

dsmith@tribunemedia.net

THE nation’s college says they “remain at the negotiating table” with non-faculty members, following a mass, two-day sick-out where several employees did not report for work.

Some 350 non-faculty staff workers of the College of the Bahamas (COB) have been agitating for a new industrial agreement since their last contract expired in 2009.

For the past two days, in apparent protest of the delays for a new industrial agreement, several of those non-faculty members called in sick.

In a statement released by COB last night, the college explained the present situation.

“On Wednesday, January 9, 2013, some non-faculty staff did not report for duty, indicating that they were ill,” the statement said. “Today, some employees remain on sick leave. College policy allows each member of staff to take two consecutive sick days without being required to produce a valid certificate from a physician.”

COB stressed the sick-out did not affect college operations.

“Senior administration immediately activated contingencies to ensure that College operations were not compromised and critical services, including the registration of new students and the late registration of returning students continued,” it said.

“College administrators remain at the negotiating table and are committed to an amicable process that produces a new industrial contract with the (Bahamas Public Service Union) for non-faculty staff. The financial commitments, related to the proposed industrial agreement, must take effect through a supplementary appropriations bill approved by Parliament. This matter must first be considered by Cabinet.”

Last month, Education Minister Jerome Fitzgerald said the government was working to free up hundreds of thousands of dollars to cover a new industrial agreement and explained that funds to cover the contract were not allocated in the budget.

Speaking outside Cabinet, Mr Fitzgerald said: “It’s just a question of making financial arrangements in order to fulfil some commitments that obviously were in the agreement, that weren’t put in the budget and so we’ll have to make a Supplementary Appropriations Bill in order to get that done.”

When asked to provide an estimate of the total cost, he said: “A couple hundred thousand dollars.”

He added: “As I said, the allocation wasn’t prepared or made in the budget and we’re moving now to find the funds to do it.

“It is no secret that there are a lot of demands on the public treasury now and we’re trying to do the best we can to meet whatever obligations the government is committed to – to various unions and individuals throughout the country.”

Also last month - John Pinder, president of the BPSU - which represents the employees - said the union has been negotiating with COB’s College Council but reached an impasse when it came to financial considerations.

He added that not seeing any progress on the issue since last August prompted them to file a trade dispute which is the first stage to applying for a strike vote.