By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune Senior Reporter

rrolle@tribunemedia.net

SEVERAL dozen ZNS employees walked off the job yesterday to protest a salary deduction.

Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union (BCPOU) president Dino Rolle, 54, said ZNS has “unilaterally” decided to deduct about $100 per month from salaries to cover health insurance co-payment requirements.

Mr Rolle said ZNS needs the union’s consent to make the change but employees discovered this week that the money was deducted without their permission.

Under the new plans, employees must cover 20 percent of their insurance.

“That isn’t something that the members budgeted for,” Mr Rolle said. “That’s not something that they could afford.”

“Previously, employees weren’t required to get a co-pay for medical insurance. Rather than seeking our agreement – as they were advised to do by the Department of Labour when we met there about two weeks ago – the corporation sought to come out and run roughshod over members and take it directly out of their salaries.”

Mr Rolle said employees are not planning further work disruption but the union will challenge the deduction in court.

“My members can’t bear that burden and so we’re gonna seek the court to bring ZNS to stop their actions,” he said. “ZNS is one of those government sponsored entities where the salary isn’t a great amount.”

Mr Rolle claimed the deduction comes as ZNS continues to hire new workers.

“Part of the frustration of members, both the line staff and management, is because ZNS’ management who is claiming to be cash strapped are continuously hiring staff as they seek to cut these people’s salaries,” he said.

He claimed that about a dozen people have been hired at the corporation in recent months. He also said ZNS has justified the deductions by pointing to reduced subventions.

“The government continuously decreases subvention and then I guess because of the pandemic the revenue that they earned prior to it has seen some decrease as well,” he said.

Labour Director John Pinder said yesterday that employers cannot deduct money from the salaries of employees without their consent.

“No employer has the right to take any deduction from your salary without your approval,” he said. “So if employees didn’t agree, that’s an issue. My understanding was that they got approval from some employees, but if members didn’t give them the right to take extra monies from their salary then they ought to make the necessary adjustments.”

Mr Pinder said the industrial agreement between the two parties does not specifically address insurance but requires consultation involving the union before changes can be made to the benefits of workers. He said he recommended to ZNS that the BCPOU be properly consulted.

“Normally, the consultation process involves discussion where both sides come to some sort of agreement,” he said.

Mr Pinder said he was informed ZNS introduced deductions because of an increase in insurance premiums.