By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

STAFF at the Broadcasting Corporation of The Bahamas walked off the job yesterday to protest a breach of their industrial agreement with medical benefit contributions being taken out of their salaries without permission.

In March, staff withdrew services because executive management decided it could no longer bear the brunt of paying the workers’ entire medical insurance, which is itemized for the corporation to pay in its industrial agreement with the union. So half of the contribution has been deducted from salaries since March.

The Bahamas Communications and Public Officers Union, the bargaining unit that represents the BCB staff, has since filed a court action against the BCB on the matter.

On Monday, the staff received a memo from BCB’s human resources department informing them that the medical insurance coverage would increase by some $2.50 per pay period resulting in the coverage costing $51.94 per pay period. BCB staff are paid twice a month.

At approximately noon yesterday, staff walked off the job demanding money deducted from their salaries since March be returned to them immediately.

Sherry Bastian, BCPOU president, was on hand with her team during the walk out. She said the staff members should enjoy the free medical insurance according to the industrial agreement.

After hours of sitting outside the BCB’s secured gate, staff returned to work on general manager Kayleaser Deveaux-Isaacs’ promise that the money deducted since March will be returned to them.

“In communication with the general manager, she has advised us that they are going to try to pay all of the monies owing to the staff from the deductions by Sept 30 and if they are not able to pay the monies in full by then, they are committed to pay everyone in full by October 15,” Ms Benjamin said.

“Staff has agreed to those terms so they have since reported back to work. The staff was enjoying free medical insurance at no expense to themselves, the corporation unilaterally decided that they were going to impose a $50 per pay period taxation on them. They were taking it out without their permission to contribute towards the insurance.

“When you have an industrial agreement that is in effect, if you want to make any changes to that agreement then you need to do that in a negotiation between management and the union and they failed to do that.”

The Tribune contacted BCB’s board chairman, Fred Gottlieb, who said he was not equipped with all the information on the end results at the time to make a comment on the matter.

Ms Benjamin, who has taken up the mantle from former president Dino Rolle, said she will not be disrespected or brushed aside during her term as president. She said she is on the job to negotiate on behalf of her members and not to be simply advised by management.

Ms Benjamin warned executive management that there will be repeated walk outs from the BCB staff if the industrial agreement is breached.

“The general manager said they ‘advised’ the former president,” Ms Benjamin continued. “Well, as I said to her no one is going to advise me when it comes to my industrial agreement. We are going to discuss. We are going to come to a mutual agreement, but you are not going to advise me when it comes to my industrial agreement because we will have repeats of what occurred today.”